Youth Success Summit Selected for Wallace Foundation Initiative
Akron, OH — Youth Success Summit (YSS) has been selected as one of seven communities across the country to join the Advancing Opportunities for Adolescents Initiative from The Wallace Foundation. The Advancing Opportunities for Adolescents Initiative (AOA) is a six-year effort by The Wallace Foundation to explore how cross-sector partnerships can strengthen the youth development sector and help more adolescents—especially those furthest from opportunity—achieve long-term success. The initiative supports local efforts while also generating national learning through research and documentation.
Wallace anticipates investing approximately $6 million to $10 million into Akron over the course of the initiative. Exact funding for Akron, which will be determined based on factors such as poverty levels, number of youth being served, and other considerations, is intended to augment investments participating communities are already making for young people. In addition to funding, participating communities will have access to additional resources and support, such as peer learning opportunities and technical assistance.
The initiative aims to provide adolescents in the middle through early high school years with greater access to out-of-school opportunities that spark new interests, skills, and an awareness of potential future careers they may choose to pursue. Adolescents and their families will have more formalized support available to help them navigate across systems to find programs and resources they need.
YSS has been named the lead organization for the local initiative and will work closely with key partners: the City of Akron, Summit Education Initiative, Akron Public Schools, United Way of Summit & Medina, Akron YMCA and YSS member out of school time organizations.
Local Grant Priorities and Impact
Following a year of vision-setting and planning, The cross sector partnership will concentrate its efforts on a range of core activities, which include:
- Building trust with youth, families, and neighborhoods
- Expanding collaboration across the youth development sector
- Enhancing youth development practices and programming
- Establishing a “youth navigator system”—ensuring each young person has a caring adult guiding and supporting their future
- Utilizing a shared data system for analysis, planning, and continuous improvement
- Launching a strategic communications plan to build community-wide support
- Participating in local and national research efforts
- Understanding and planning for sustainable funding
The initiative will also include a research study led by the American Institutes for Research (AIR) to explore how communities support young people—particularly through developmental relationships and systemic support. Akron’s involvement will help generate evidence-based practices to inform future national efforts.
Organizations providing technical assistance and supporting the initiative as thought partners include Children’s Funding Project; Community Wealth Partners; Every Hour Counts; FrameWorks Institute; The Institute for Success Planning at the EdRedesign Lab at Harvard Graduate School of Education; and The Marlo Companies. Additional partners will be added as the initiative unfolds.
Expected Community Benefits
The long-term vision of the initiative includes:
- More aligned, interest-based opportunities for middle school youth
- Stronger navigation systems to help families access programs and services
- A more coordinated and resilient network of youth-serving organizations
- Improved cross-sector collaboration and a shared, data-informed narrative
- Locally generated and nationally shared research to improve outcomes for youth
YSS was selected from over 1,700 communities who expressed interest in the AOA initiative. This is both a vote of confidence in our community and a reflection of the incredible support YSS receives from their network of providers and partners. Together, they have laid the foundation for this outstanding achievement to create lasting impact for youth in greater Akron.
QUOTES
YSS Executive Director Rachel Tecca: “This opportunity is a significant milestone for our community. We are grateful to The Wallace Foundation and our local partners for the trust and support. Together, we’re committed to creating a future where every young person in Akron has the relationships, resources, and opportunities they need to thrive.”
Akron Mayor Shammas Malik: “This is a proud moment for the City of Akron. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the Youth Success Summit for receiving this transformative grant on behalf of our community. This significant investment by The Wallace Foundation not only affirms the incredible work being done in Akron, but also ensures that our youth have access to the resources, mentorship, and opportunities they need to thrive in the afterschool space. The collaboration of so many organizations and partners has put us in position to participate in the Advancing Opportunities for Adolescents Initiative. We are excited to see how this support will further our Safer Together plan and elevate outcomes for young people across our city.”
Akron Public Schools Superintendent Mary B. Outley “Our partnership with the Youth Success Summit’s out-of-school time providers represents a critical bridge between traditional classroom instruction and the comprehensive support our students need to thrive. By partnering with community organizations, we’re able to extend learning far beyond the school walls, providing students with enriching, standards-based experiences that are both rigorous and engaging. The Youth Success Summit’s role as the convening partner ensures consistency and quality across all programs, guaranteeing that every participating organization delivers instruction aligned with academic standards. Most importantly, this additional time is transformative—it allows students to close learning gaps, master challenging concepts, and build confidence in a supportive environment. When students have more time to learn, practice, and grow, we see increased progress. These out-of-school time opportunities are not just about more hours; they’re about creating the conditions for every student to succeed. We are grateful for this partnership that helps us make progress towards our mission as a district – to ensure all APS scholars are college, career, and life-ready by providing innovative educational experiences.”
Akron Area YMCA President and CEO Jill Kolesar
“We are deeply grateful to the Wallace Foundation for their confidence in this important work. It is an honor to be part of this collaboration with YSS and our community partners. Together, we are committed to doing everything we can to ensure that our adolescents have the resources, support, and opportunities they need to thrive—both today and in the future.”
Summit Education Initiative Executive Director David James: ” We are thrilled that Akron has been selected as a recipient of the Wallace Foundation’s Advancing Opportunity for Adolescents grant. This achievement reflects the incredible collaboration among so many dedicated organizations across our community. Together, we are building on our shared commitment to supporting young people along the entire cradle-to-career continuum, and this initiative will be a powerful catalyst for lasting, equitable impact. Most importantly, it will support our goal to have 30,000 youth on the road to economic mobility — opening doors to opportunity and brighter futures.”
GAR Foundation President Christine Mayer: “Congratulations to the Youth Success Summit for being selected for The Wallace Foundation grant. This is a testament to the incredible work being done to ensure that youth in our community are set on a path toward lifelong well-being, resilience, and economic mobility. This generous funding reflects not only the strength of the Youth Success Summit team but also the powerful, collective commitment of our community. We are proud to be a key partner in this work.”
BOILER PLATES
About The Wallace Foundation
Wallace is an independent, nonpartisan research foundation, with a mission to help all communities build a more vibrant and just future by fostering advances in the arts, education leadership, and youth development. We collaborate with grantees and research partners to design and test innovative approaches to address pressing problems in the fields we serve. The evidence-based insights we share—searchable online and free of charge—support policymakers and practitioners in their efforts to improve outcomes, enhance community vitality, and help all people reach their full potential.
About Youth Success Summit
Youth Success Summit is a network of Out of School Time Providers who are dedicated to providing high quality after school and summer programs that are focused on youth development and success. Our mission is to galvanize the entire community to provide equitable and innovative opportunities where youth build essential skills needed for success in life. Learn more at youthsuccesssummit.org.
