Generation Next

June is month at StriveTogether!

A purposeful pathway is more than a plan — it's a connected, well-designed system that supports young people from high school graduation through credential completion and into employment with family-sustaining wages.

And right now, too many students are navigating that journey alone.

By 2031, 72% of all jobs will require some form of postsecondary education or credential. Yet nearly 40% of first-time undergraduates don't complete a degree within eight years. And nearly half of Gen Z students say they lack confidence in their postsecondary plans.

Students aren't failing the system. The system isn't connecting the dots for them.

When K–12, higher education, employers and community partners work together around shared data and shared goals, more students graduate knowing where they're going and how to get there.

As a member of the StriveTogether Cradle to Career Network, we're committed to building those systems in our community.

📘 Learn more about why purposeful pathways matter and what it takes to build them:

Why Purposeful Pathways Matter - StriveTogether Every student deserves a clear path forward. Too often, they are navigating their future without a trusted guide or the real-world experience to match. According to ECMC Group’s pulse survey, 78% of Gen Z students said they want to determine their career plans before graduating. Only 13% fee...

May is — and we're starting with a question: what separates communities that improve outcomes for young people from those that don't?

Research points to one consistent answer: how they use data.

A study by the American Educational Research Association across 59 school districts and seven states found that those that systematically collected, interpreted and used student performance data produced statistically significant improvements in student achievement — compared to those that didn't.

As a member of the StriveTogether Cradle to Career Network, evidence-based decision making is central to how we work. It means asking the right questions, sharing information across partners and changing what a community does based on what the data shows.

Data is not the goal. Better outcomes for young people are. Data is a driver to how communities get there.

📊 Read StriveTogether’s full explainer on why data use matters — and what it takes to build systems that put it into practice:

Why Data Use Matters - StriveTogether Learn why data use matters and how communities that collect, share and act on data together produce better outcomes for children and families.

Our latest blog post recaps our 2026 Annual Event: Pathways to Possibility! Read it here: https://gennextmsp.org/blog/pathways-to-possibility-2026/