The Coalition to Advance Future Student Success counts a dozen organizational members among its ranks. Also: Why associations need to convey a shared vision to their communities.

The pandemic was a difficult period for many students, who found themselves suddenly having to navigate learning from home for months on end.

Concerns about the long-term impact of the situation on children were common—and given those concerns, a new coalition hopes to change the K-12 education system for the better while making things better for students in the process.

The Coalition to Advance Future Student Success—which counts the National Governors Association, the National School Boards Association, the National Education Association, and the American Federation of Teachers among its dozen members—aims to ensure that funding offered as a result of COVID-19 is distributed fairly and that steps are taken to minimize the impact of the long-term disruption caused by the pandemic.

“The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated just how much schools are part of the fabric of America’s neighborhoods,” the coalition said in a joint statement. “We must make certain our young people recover from disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and thrive in adulthood. Economic and social recovery in the United States will not be complete unless our education system emerges stronger and more equitable.”

The coalition will follow a 10-point framework [PDF] for reopening schools, improving attendance, addressing educational gaps, and closing the digital divide, among other goals.

Other recent headlines:

Restaurant association buys stake in event and magazine operator. Three years after selling its marquee event to Winsight Holdings, LLC, the National Restaurant Association has purchased a majority stake in the firm, which not only runs the National Restaurant Association Show but also publishes Restaurant Business, a magazine that frequently publishes work about the association. The magazine emphasizes that it will maintain independence, “though it publishes regular news and information from the association and will continue to do so with the ownership change.” The National Restaurant Association Show has not been held in person since 2019 as a result of the pandemic.

Dairy industry boosts access to milk with “round-up” program. The northeast region of the American Dairy Association is working to make dairy more accessible to families in need. As a part of National Dairy Month, the association announced a collaboration with grocery stores around the region to supply milk to nearby food pantries. The initiative at grocery checkouts will rely on a “round-up” element, encouraging retail customers to share their change to fund the program. “Dairy farmers work every day to help feed the world, and National Dairy Month is a great way to recognize their hard work and dedication to their local communities,” ADA North East CEO Rick Naczi says in a news release. “Their support of these hunger relief campaigns with our partners is just one more example of their commitment to providing a safe, wholesome product for their neighbors in need.” 

Highlight Your Vision

When bringing people together in a community setting, it’s not just about building a community—it’s about creating a broader vision of what that community represents.

Josh Hotsenpiller, CEO of the online event platform JUNO, says that many organizations struggle with this aspect of community, and that leaders need to establish a clear message around what the organization represents and where it’s going.

“This is all about vision,” Hotsenpiller says in an interview with Association Chat host Kiki L’Italien. “And we’re asking people to invest their time, money, and energy into us. And every human asks the same question: ‘Where are we going, and why does it matter?’”

Learn more in the YouTube clip above.

ICYMI …

Learn some tactics for creating an effective virtual set from influencer and comedian Josh Sundquist.

A recent report from the Society for Human Resource Management highlights the financial cost of racial issues within the workplace—and what organizations can do to manage their DEI strategies.

Been a while since you hit the airport for a business trip? You might be interested in hearing what Karl Ely, CAE, the publisher of Associations Now, learned from his first business trip in more than a year.

 

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