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Here’s a wrap-up of just some of the news New Profit and its portfolio organizations made this week:

NEW PROFIT:


New Profit Blog: President Obama Signs Critical Workforce Legislation America Forward and the America Forward Coalition applaud President Obama and Congress for working together on the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. “Today, President Barack Obama signed into law the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), which will help millions of Americans gain the skills they need to be successful in today’s workforce. The legislation will also serve as a model for innovative, performance-based policies that can drive better outcomes and save taxpayer money… We have collaborated closely with Members of Congress, their staff, and the Administration to ensure the innovative ideas of our Coalition partners are reflected in the law and we are thrilled that this is now a reality.”

CURRENT PORTFOLIO ORGANIZATIONS:


The Hill: Congress Is letting down education, and business Michael J. Ward (Chairman, President and CEO of the CSX Corp.) and David L. Cohen (Executive Vice President of the Comcast Corp. and Vice Chair of the National City Year Board of Trustees) urge Congress to invest in organizations including Teach for America, College Possible, and Citizen Schools to support students living in poverty and ensure our nation’s ability to compete well into the future.”We believe education is the pathway to a brighter future. And we believe the public and private sectors have a responsibility to invest in solutions that will dramatically improve our nation’s education system.”

Turnaround for Children: Designing Schools to Keep Children on the Path to Graduation Dr. Pamela Cantor addresses these questions: Is there a way to design schools so that all children with risk factors for dropping out can be identified and helped to stay in school? Better yet, is there a way to design learning environments so that children never get to the point where they would consider leaving school? “At my organization, Turnaround for Children, we are building fortified environments in partner schools in New York City, Newark, New Jersey and Washington, D.C. This means creating a teaching and learning environment that supports the needs of every student. It means training every adult in the school in practices that defuse disruption, increase student engagement and personalize learning. It means individual support for the students that need it. And it means changing the climate from one that is often chaotic and punitive to one where the assumption is that all children are capable of high levels of learning.”

Fast Company Co. Exist: 3 Essential Elements To Increase The Viability Of Your Social Venture “Every social entrepreneur discovers the same pitfalls on their way to creating impact. But you can avoid them, if you know what to expect… Countless individuals and organizations are daring to work around the confines of existing systems, devising creative solutions to some of the world’s greatest problems. Inspiring success stories are validating the important role of these ventures. KIPP is changing the dynamic of public education in lower socio-economic school districts.”

Houston Chronicle: New KIPP venture turns school into community hub “The KIPP charter school chain has stepped up its game at its newest campus in the Gulfton neighborhood in southwest Houston. It’s launching a new community-building model designed to break the cycle of poverty by working with other nonprofits to provide everything from good schools to health care and, ultimately, mixed-income housing… Organizers envision a new YMCA, food bank, clinic and mixed-income housing alongside school building.”

PBS: In Houston, charter and traditional schools bridge divide under one roof PBS special correspondent, John Merrow, reports on KIPP’s partnership with Spring Branch ISD to exemplify the evolving partnerships between charters and traditional schools. “Charter schools have often been seen as a threat to traditional schools, diverting resources and students to these publicly funded but privately run institutions. In Houston, Texas, the superintendent of one school district has invited competing charter schools to set up shop alongside a regular middle school.”

PAST PORTFOLIO ORGANIZATIONS:

Memphis Daily News: Teach for America Leverages Start Co. Resources Andre Fowlkes, president of Start Co. (which provides Memphis’ startups and businesses with the programs and resources they need to keep up-to-speed on the latest trends) takes a look at how Teach for America is leveraging his organization: “It has been interesting to see how entrepreneurship is taking root as a means to further Teach for America’s mission…At Start Co., we have had the privilege to work with two corps members who are using entrepreneurship to advance youth in education.”

The Hill: Congress Is letting down education, and business Michael J. Ward (Chairman, President and CEO of the CSX Corp.) and David L. Cohen (Executive Vice President of the Comcast Corp. and Vice Chair of the National City Year Board of Trustees) urge Congress to invest in organizations including Teach for America, College Possible, and Citizen Schools to support students living in poverty and ensure our nation’s ability to compete well into the future.”We believe education is the pathway to a brighter future. And we believe the public and private sectors have a responsibility to invest in solutions that will dramatically improve our nation’s education system.”

Michigan Radio (NPR): Michigan welcomes office to help skilled immigrants get jobs “Highly skilled immigrants in Michigan now have a new resource to help them find jobs. The national nonprofit organization Upwardly Global opened a new office in Detroit on Monday. Upwardly Global says immigrants and refugees often have valuable job skills that are in high demand in the United States. But the group says they often still have trouble finding work because of cultural differences. The new office is meant to help polish immigrants’ job searching skills and connect them with local employers.”

Freelancer’s Union: 94% of Millennials want to use their skills for good Sarah Horowitz, founder of Freelancer’s Union, defends Millenials and how they view their work: “a new study says that a whopping 94% are interested in using their skills to benefit a cause, while 57% wish that there were more company-wide service days. When you look at these two stats together, a bigger picture arises. Millennials aren’t just thinking outside the 9-5, they’re changing the very definition of the word ‘work.’ This signals a new relationship between worker and economy; it’s not just where we’re working, or even how we’re working…They see themselves as having the power to make choices — and their decision to work in one place or another is about finding value, not just the posh apartment on the East side. They see themselves as independent actors, even when they’re employed.”