This fall, the Forum partnered with Michigan's Children and the Michigan Shared Youth Vision Partnership as they planned and convened the Michigan Dropout Prevention Leadership Summit, held on October 20 in Lansing, Michigan. The Summit was a part of the America's Promise Alliance's initiative to support all 50 states and the 50 largest cities in addressing the dropout crisis. The 500-plus person gathering drew more than 20 community teams from around the state representing a variety of sectors and interests.

Karen Pittman presented the Forum's Ready by 21 framework, a framework that undergirded the key themes of the day, moderated the Summit's youth panel and responded to a roundtable of the directors of key state agencies. The Ready by 21 framing helped to advance the idea that while high school graduation is a necessary focal point, it does not represent the end goal toward ensuring that all young people are fully prepared for post-secondary work and life opportunities.

Speaking of the value of the Ready by 21 framework, Michele Corey, Director of Community Advocacy, said, "The framework was exactly what we needed to operationalize what we did and did not want to do at the Summit. We would not have gotten the workforce development, juvenile justice and the early childhood systems on board without setting it within this broader framework. The Ready by 21 frame made it clearly obvious how each of the entities plug in and how all stakeholders and all settings could be part of the solution."

For more info on the Michigan Dropout Prevention Leadership Summit Web site, visit http://www.midropoutsummit.org/