Adolescence is a critical time in human development, and public schools are essential to making the most of this time and fostering a successful transition to adulthood. The Youth Thriving Through Learning (YTL) Fund aims to transform California’s education system to dramatically expand high-impact structures, practices, and pathways for California’s adolescents, offering them more meaningful learning experiences and deeper connections to school, work, and civic life.

The YTL Fund targets a moment of immense opportunity in California: the investment of $5 billion in state funding to support the implementation of three high-impact, evidence-driven practices that redesign the high school environment and transitions to postsecondary life: community schools, dual enrollment, and college and career pathways. These investments enable schools to foster engaging teaching and learning in the classroom while also linking students to the critical supports they need in all aspects of their lives. Taken together, they provide the opportunity to redesign education systems to ensure adolescents can thrive in high school and in the transition to postsecondary, career, and beyond.

The YTL Fund will also pursue opportunistic giving to spur innovations in teaching and learning practices in redesigned schools and pathways into postsecondary education and the workforce. Ultimately, the goal of this fund is to yield long-term advances that benefit California’s youth and support the state’s workforce and economy.

The Stuart Foundation is partnering with leading education philanthropists and foundations to advance quality implementation of state programs and funding and foster innovation to expand this opportunity. The YTL Fund’s partners include: the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, California Community Foundation, College Futures Foundation, Gates Foundation, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, San Diego Foundation, Schott Foundation for Public Education, Sobrato Philanthropies, Spencer Foundation, and Stuart Foundation.