Summer Institute: Transforming Place through Neighborhood Leadership brings together community leaders from across the country to accelerate the impact of cradle-to-career place-based solutions to open and expand pathways to social and economic mobility for children and youth.
Hosted by William Julius Wilson Institute at Harlem Children’s Zone and The EdRedesign Lab at the Harvard Graduate School of Education in Cambridge, MA, the three-day event will focus on critical issues, including:
- Engaging schools and local government through cross-sector collaboration
- Developing cradle-to-career public policies
- Cutting-edge research on place-based strategies
- Assessing gaps on opposite ends of the cradle-to-career continuum
- Assessing and tracking impact along the cradle-to-career continuum
- Building a funding pipeline and best practices around both public and private funding
- Developing investible narratives for neighborhood-based cradle-to-career work
This video, produced by William Julius Wilson Institute at Harlem Children's Zone, features highlights from the 2024 Summer Institute: Transforming Place through Neighborhood Leadership at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Event Location
Summer Institute will be held at The Charles Hotel (1 Bennett St, Cambridge, MA 02138), Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE), and Harvard Kennedy School (HKS). Attendees can view a map of the HGSE campus, the HKS campus, and the full Harvard Campus Map. They can also search for locations of interest using the search bar at the top of the Harvard Campus Map webpage. Participants can find maps that show the most direct routes for transitions during the event from one location to another here. Staff will be available each day to help guide attendees to the correct buildings and rooms.
Things To Do
The following are links to suggested activities and places to eat in Cambridge and nearby Boston:
Local Attractions and Dining
Attire
Attire is business casual.
Hotel
Attendees traveling from out of town for Summer Institute can enjoy hotel accommodations at no cost for the duration of the event. Attendees must cover the cost of additional days. Attendees will receive hotel confirmation and information about checking in. Attendees will stay at The Charles Hotel (1 Bennett Street, Cambridge, MA 02138). Hotel check-in is on Tuesday, July 8 at 3 PM or after, and checkout is on Friday, July 11, before or at 12 PM, unless attendees are staying for additional days at their own expense. Upon arrival, attendees should check in at The Charles Hotel front desk and provide a credit card for any incidental charges. If they plan to stay at the hotel for additional nights, please submit a credit card for payment. Attendees must pay for their taxi/rideshare transportation to and from the hotel. Speakers will receive information about transportation reimbursement after the event.
Parking
Attendees, except guest speakers, must pay for their parking.
Wi-Fi & Technology
Attendees can access complimentary wireless internet at The Charles Hotel, Harvard Graduate School of Education, and Harvard Kennedy School. Login information will be provided. Attendees can also review information on how to access Harvard University Wi-Fi here. Attendees are welcome to bring laptop computers or tablets to Summer Institute.
Meals & Dining
The following meals will be provided during the convening.
Breakfast, lunch, snacks, and beverages: Wednesday, July 9 through Friday, July 11.
Cocktail Reception: Wednesday, July 9, 5:15-6:15 PM at the Pavilion Foyer on the first floor of The Charles Hotel. Attendees are responsible for their dinner on Wednesday evening.
Formal Dinner Reception: Thursday, July 10, 5:30-8:30 PM at The Charles Hotel Ballroom. Attendees can arrive as early as 5 PM, ballroom doors open at 5:30 PM, and plated dinner starts promptly at 6 PM. The evening presentation is 7:15-8 PM, followed by dessert and coffee service in the foyer.
Press & Media
Summer Institute sessions will be recorded and photographed, and recordings and photographs may be made publicly available online. Attendees signed a media/photo release in the event registration, consenting to being recorded and photographed.
Registration opens on Tuesday, July 8, between 1-5 PM in the Charles Hotel lobby and on July 9 starting at 8 AM outside of the Charles Ballroom on the third floor of The Charles Hotel.
Summer Institute programming will start promptly on Wednesday, July 9, at 9:30 AM in the Charles Ballroom at The Charles Hotel. Greeters will be stationed in the hotel lobby to welcome attendees and provide instructions. Summer Institute will end on Friday, July 11 at 1 PM.
Session materials will be available after the conclusion of the conference.
We encourage guests to follow coverage and post about Summer Institute on social media.
- Follow @WJWInstitute on Instagram and X.
- Follow @EdRedesignLab on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.
- Use the hashtag #PowerOfPlace in posts.
- For posts on Instagram, mention @WJWInstitute and @EdRedesignLab..
- For posts on Facebook and LinkedIn, mention @HarlemChildrensZone and @EdRedesignLab.
- For posts on X, mention @WJWInstitute.
The EdRedesign Lab at Harvard Graduate School of Education:
Founded in 2014 by Paul Reville, Francis Keppel Professor of Practice of Educational Policy and Administration at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, EdRedesign provides catalytic support to the cradle-to-career place-based partnership field to drive systems-level change and open personalized pathways to well-being, educational attainment, civic engagement, and upward mobility. To support this growing field to effect transformational change that serves the needs and talents of individual children and youth, our work focuses on talent development, actionable research, our Institute for Success Planning, and our By All Means initiatives. Our mission is to ensure the social, emotional, physical, and academic development and well-being of all children and youth, especially those affected by racism, poverty, and disinvestment. To learn more, visit www.edredesign.org.
William Julius Wilson Institute at Harlem Children’s Zone:
William Julius Wilson Institute (WJWI) at Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ) is a national resource for place-based, people-focused solutions that open pathways to social and economic mobility. Named for one of our nation’s most prolific scholars on poverty and inequality, and founded and led by Geoffrey Canada, Founder and President of HCZ, and Kwame Owusu-Kesse, CEO of HCZ, the Institute works with on-the-ground collaborators and national partners to deliver comprehensive strategies, support services, and tools that systematically root out poverty and close opportunity gaps in neighborhoods across America. WJWI is a central hub for place-based services and programs, and for backbone organizations to access the support they need to be successful. To learn more, visit hcz.org/william-julius-wilson-institute.