“On the Level” Cover Story Features School Partners USA
The current issue of “On the Level” magazine features Thrive Collective’s launch of School Partners USA as a case study in multicity collaboration. Here’s a fun excerpt, from their interview with Jeremy Del Rio:
The success of the multicity collaboration also meant that resource networking would necessarily take on a new dimension. Jeremy finds it helpful to think of that in two parts. He explains, “Networking starts by asking, ‘Who do you know?’ As you cultivate those relationships, build your tribe with those whose passions align with your own.” Jeremy also cautions against spending too much time commiserating. “At some point, people get tired of just talking about problems or dreaming about solutions. Translating that shared commitment into a project, event, or initiative gives the relationship fuel. People want to know that their time investment adds value.”
To be able to resource well, leaders must clearly define what they feel compelled to do, break that down into its component parts, and then ask, “Where do I get that stuff?” Jeremy has often found that within his network, he was a lot closer to what he needed than he realized. As the organizations grew and he began to seek funding beyond grassroots donors, he found it helpful to diversify funding sources to include local institutions, businesses, churches, civic associations, and government.
Read the full article here.
Jeremy Del Rio (New York 2010) shares how collaboration took NYC-based Thrive Collective national.
DVULI: “Thrive Collective is in its tenth year. Based in New York City, Thrive creates hope and opportunity through arts, sports, and mentoring in and around public schools. At the organization’s heart is a passion for meeting kids where they are in a tangible, concrete way. The pandemic pause gave Jeremy and his team the time to go beyond informal shared learning and think more systemically about their work. This gave birth to School Partners USA (SPUSA), which provides tools, training, and coaching to help youth workers partner with public schools. Alongside NYC, they launched in Dallas, San Diego, and Oakland, with local city coordinators (DVULI alums) who engaged similarly with the public schools in their respective cities. Each SPUSA city has its unique application of what it means to partner with schools in their local context, but some elements of successful collaboration remain true across the board.”
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