Message from the President: The Promise of New Beginnings
Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.
– Albert Camus
Up and down the state, students, families, and educators have settled into the rhythm of a new school year. “First day” outfits have been worn, washed, and worn again. Relationships are being formed and strengthened. And students of all ages — and especially adolescents — are trying on habits, styles, and interests as they reimagine themselves for the year ahead.
At the Stuart Foundation, the promise of a new school year is deeply personal. Our team includes parents, as well as aunties and uncles, of students of all ages: preschoolers just getting acquainted with school; eighth graders and seniors embarking on important transition years; and college students navigating school and life away from home and family. Our hopes for the students in our lives are the same as our hope for all children and young people in California: that the school year is filled with growth and discovery. And that every day and opportunity bring them closer to thriving.
Shining a Light on Adolescents
Regular readers to my updates or visitors to the Foundation’s website will know that we are unabashed champions of adolescents. We admire their creativity; respect their commitment to their friends, families, and communities; understand their fears and concerns; and draw hope from their drive to tackle the most pressing issues of our time — from the crisis of unhoused students and families to the impact of climate change on their communities and the planet.
Our daily news feeds are bombarded with the many serious challenges facing adolescents, from mental health struggles to disaffection with school. These are real issues that demand our attention and our investments. But to define adolescents by their circumstances alone is to deny their talents and contributions. It also fails to see them for the complex human beings that they are. That’s why I am excited to share with you Adolescents in California: Creating the Conditions for Thriving, our celebration of young people in California and the many and varied contributions they make to their families, their schools, and their communities.
…to define adolescents by their circumstances alone is to deny their talents and contributions. It also fails to see them for the complex human beings that they are.
Our goal with this resource? To provoke a new way of thinking about adolescents. To encourage questions and conversations — especially with young people themselves — about how our systems can better support and engage them. And to underscore our collective challenges and opportunities: to capitalize on recent education investments; to radically change how young people experience high school; and to expand their opportunities after graduation.
California Thriving Youth Initiative: A Collective Effort to Prioritize Adolescents
Animated by this once-in-a-generation moment, in June, the Stuart Foundation and the California Community Foundation announced the California Thriving Youth Initiative, composed of two interrelated Funds: the Purpose of Education Fund and the Youth Thriving Through Learning Fund. This multiyear collaborative effort, seeded with a $30 million commitment by the Stuart Foundation, seeks to leverage and integrate decades of connected work in California and respond to the increasingly polarized education debates in many communities by offering an informed, positive vision for our public education system.
Today, I am excited to announce our first round of philanthropic partners in the initiative, which includes an eclectic mix of regional, state, and national funders, and a blend of longtime education foundations and newer supporters of education equity work. Partners include:
- Purpose of Education Fund: California Community Foundation, Crankstart Foundation, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Longview Foundation, James B. McClatchy Foundation, San Diego Foundation, Schott Foundation for Public Education, Spencer Foundation, and Stuart Foundation.
- Youth Thriving Through Learning Fund: The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, California Community Foundation, College Futures Foundation, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, San Diego Foundation, Schott Foundation for Public Education, Spencer Foundation, and Stuart Foundation.
We are grateful for these early partners and invite you to learn more about this effort and the incredible team leading it.
Leading with Hope
Whether it is embarking on a new initiative or creating a new resource, we approach this work with humility, understanding that we are one organization among many focused on advancing the health, well-being, and success of adolescents. With hope, having seen what’s possible when philanthropy, policymakers, and the ecosystem of organizations working to advance education justice align around a shared goal. And with an unabashed belief that California’s adolescents deserve nothing less than to thrive.
As always, I welcome your feedback, provocations, and partnership.
In solidarity,
Sophie