Rural Summit for Cradle to Career Success
August 11 & 12, 2025
About The Rural Summit for Cradle to Career Success
Place-based initiatives are advancing nationwide. The idea that place matters is a rallying cry that brings people from across service sectors together to make life better for everyone. Our Rural Summit for Cradle to Career Success brings local leaders together with national experts to showcase this unifying work.
The Thruway Coalition is partnering with Partners for Rural Impact, Syracuse University, and Rural Schools Association of NYS for a Rural Summit for Cradle to Career Success on August 11 & 12, 2025, at the Syracuse University Schine Student Center.
Meet The Speakers
Dreama Gentry
Founder & CEO, Partners for Rural Impact
Keynote: Pathways to Upward Mobility
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An Appalachian by birth and choice, Dreama Gentry is passionate about creating pathways to success for rural youth across America. At the heart of the American Dream is upward mobility, the promise that every child has a fair chance at economic success, regardless of where they live. Yet, in her 30 years of working with rural communities, Gentry has witnessed rural children, youth, and families too often left out of the national conversation. To address this, she founded Partners for Rural Impact, a national intermediary committed to ensuring that every rural child has pathways to upward mobility.
Highlighting the troubling reality that rural children’s chances of out-earning their parents are declining, Gentry brings hope by showcasing the transformation possible through impactful programs and practices like place-based partnerships and community schools. She will share how we can ensure that all children have the hope we provide the children in our own families -- the hope for an opportunity-filled life.
Geoff Canada
President, Harlem Children’s Zone
Founder, William Julius Wilson Institute
Geoffrey Canada is renowned around the world for his pioneering work helping children and families, and as a thought leader and passionate advocate for education reform across the country.
Canada created the Harlem Children’s Zone, a birth-through-college network of programs that today serves more than 13,000 low-income students and families in a 97-block area of Central Harlem in New York City.
The unprecedented success of the Harlem Children’s Zone has attracted the attention of the media and leaders around the world. In 2011, Canada was named one of the world’s most influential people by Time magazine and as one of the 50 greatest leaders by Fortune magazine in 2014. President Barack Obama created the Promise Neighborhoods Initiative to replicate the Harlem Children’s Zone model across the country,
After 30 years with the organization, Canada stepped down in 2014 as Chief Executive Officer of the Harlem Children’s Zone but continues to serve as President.
In June 2020, Canada founded The William Julius Wilson Institute (WJW), which serves as the national platform to help communities impacted by poverty across the country design and implement their own place-based programs. Currently we are implementing an innovative initiative focused on narrowing the racial wealth gap and building economic mobility in the Black community.
Colin Groth
Chief Advancement Officer, StriveTogether
Colin Groth is Chief Advancement Officer at StriveTogether, responsible for growing the organization’s impact and expanding its national reach through fundraising, field partnerships, business development, marketing, and communication.
The son of a public school librarian, Colin has always been passionate about the improvement of educational outcomes for all young people. Before joining StriveTogether, Colin served as the government relations director for Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority, where he oversaw the organization’s government affairs, served as liaison to elected officials and government bodies, and developed relationships with local businesses and civic groups to advance public transportation issues.
Colin holds a Bachelor of Arts in communications from The Ohio State University, where he also completed the Goodlinks nonprofit management internship program. He is the former president of the Charter Committee of Greater Cincinnati; a graduate of the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber’s C-Change leadership development program and the City of Cincinnati’s Citizen’s Government Academy; an alumnus of 40 under 40 awards for both the Cincinnati Business Courier and Mass Transit Magazine; and an Eagle Scout (Troop 502).
Planning to Attend?
We’re excited to welcome you to the Rural Summit for Cradle to Career Success!
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The pre-conference and the Rural Summit are provided at no cost to you. The networking dinner will have a charge of $50/person. No payment will be required during registration. We will contact you with an invoice and the appropriate information to make payment.
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Individual AND Group Registration Encouraged:
You may select any number of tickets for each part of the event that your team plans to attend. Please complete our registration form at the link below to share details for each attendee. This allows us to prepare for meals, name tags, and accommodations.
If you have more than ten people on your team registering, or you'd prefer to use an Excel spreadsheet to collect your team’s information, reach out to Rhea Hayes at rhayes@flxcommunityschools.org.
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For payment inquiries, contact Jay Roscup at jroscup@flxcommunityschools.org.
Anticipated Summit Schedule
Please view the information below and keep your eyes out for more information to come! This Summit will be split into three parts. Please be sure to register for the events you'd like to attend:
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Rural Summit Pre-Conference - August 11th at 2 PM, Syracuse University
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​Pre-Conference: NYS Rural Schools Association organizes discussions around pressing local matters relating to place-based work, including graduation requirements, early childhood, and more.
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Networking Dinner and Program - August 11th at 5:30 PM, Syracuse University
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​Networking Dinner: Syracuse University hosts a dinner for place-based partnerships. Network with national experts on place-based partnerships, funding, and connect with local practitioners and policy makers from state and local offices.
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Rural Summit for Cradle to Career Success - August 12th from 8 AM - 3 PM, Syracuse University
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​Rural Summit for Cradle to Career Success: National experts provide inspiration and information for place-based work and how rural areas can activate cradle-to-career thinking to shape lives. The conference keeps us together with time for networking and reflection as the day progresses. Lunch will be provided.
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DRAFT AGENDA:
​We will stay in one shared space for the day to hear from national panelists and experts. Our agenda includes time for networking and discussion. Rather than break-out sessions, table discussions will help us localize and activate place-based strategies.
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Monday, August 11th
1:00pm- Welcome & Networking with light snacks
1:30pm- Place-Based Partnerships- An Introduction
2:00pm- NYS Rural Schools Association- Facilitated Discussions on topics including Regionalization, Early Childhood & Graduation through the lens of Place-Based Partnerships
3:15pm- Break
3:30pm- NYS Thruway Coalition Local Examples of Place-Based Partnerships in Action
4:30pm- Dr. Ryan Heath- Chronic Absenteeism, Youth Development & Place-Based Partnerships
5:00pm- Closure
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Tuesday August 12th
8:00am- Welcome & Networking
8:30am- Opening & Introductions from Syracuse University
9:00am- Keynote: Dreama Gentry, PRI
9:30am- Panel Presentation with National Partners
10:15am – Break
10:30am – NY Panel for Place-Based Partnerships
11:30am – Lunch/Break
12:45pm - Plenary: Geoff Canada, William Julius Wilson Institute
1:30pm - Economic Mobility for Our Communities
2:15pm - Advancing Place-Based Partnerships in your Community
2:45pm - Closing Invitation to Next Steps