While hundreds of organizations in Chicago do fantastic work serving our city’s children and youth, to achieve substantial and sustainable improvement in critical outcomes, will require an unprecedented level of collective action. To date, Thrive Chicago has brought together 600 individuals representing nearly 200 child and youth serving organizations to accomplish the shared objective of supporting Chicago youth from “cradle-to-career.” As a collective impact initiative, Thrive engages a diverse group of leaders from the nonprofit, business, government, education and philanthropy sectors working toward one common agenda: to prepare all Chicago youth for a vibrant future. Through an inclusive, data driven process, Thrive stakeholders identified 10 key outcomes on a child’s path toward adulthood. To start our work, Thrive selected five of those outcomes and organized one “Change Network” for each. The initial outcomes of focus are: kindergarten readiness, engagement in enrichment and academic activities, high school graduation, college completion and employment at living wages. Thrive Chicago launched in June of 2013 and has continued to welcome new partners ever since. For more about Thrive’s history and evolution, click here. Read about our approach to systemic change here.