College Access Starts at Birth: Lessons from Rural America

While rural youth graduate from high school at rates above the national average, they are less likely to attain a post-secondary credential and join the labor force and those who do often leave their communities. During this Forum, panelists will discuss how cradle-to-career place-based partnerships are helping to reverse this trend.

Transformational place-making and population-level change requires collaboration among all domains that affect children and youth from cradle to career–domains beyond the education system, such as health, housing, and out-of-school-time.

Higher education institutions, especially in rural settings, can play a vital role in transforming opportunities for rural youth. Partners for Rural Impact, EdRedesign, and Maya Consulting are co-facilitating the newly launched Place-Based Partnership Leader Cohort for Rural Higher Education Leaders. The cohort, which includes Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs), four-year colleges, community colleges, and community and technical colleges, supports rural higher education leaders in advancing bold, place-based partnerships that improve outcomes for children and families from cradle to career, driving systems-level change through cross-sector collaboration. This session will highlight place-based partnerships in practice and provide insight into what it takes to build, scale, and sustain initiatives in a rural context to catalyze educational attainment and economic mobility. Attendees will leave with insights on how to improve outcomes not just in rural America, but with takeaways from rural successes that can be applied to urban and suburban challenges.

Moderator: Paul Reville, Francis Keppel Professor of Practice of Educational Policy and Administration, Harvard Graduate School of Education; Founder and Faculty Director, The EdRedesign Lab

Speakers include:

• Dreama Gentry, CEO and President, Partners for Rural Impact; 2025–27 EdRedesign By All Means Senior Fellow
• Tauheedah Jackson, Deputy Director and Director of the Institute for Success Planning, The EdRedesign Lab

Event Attendance & Registration

Askwith Education Forums are accessible, free, and open to the public unless otherwise noted. Registration is required. On-site registration will be available.

In-person seating is first-come, first-seated. Once Askwith Hall reaches capacity, guests will be redirected to overflow seating. We recommend arriving at least 15 minutes early for seating, to engage with the community, and to enjoy light refreshments before the Forum.

Virtual registrants will receive a Zoom link the day before the event with directions for how to join virtually.