Systems Change, Unlocked: Baltimore-Tested Tools for Cradle-to-Career Leaders

Tuesday, September 29 | Baltimore, Maryland

Leaders get the frameworks, strategies, and real-world lessons behind the work.

Go behind the scenes of systems change. Join Baltimore's Promise for a hands-on learning experience exploring the partnerships, practical strategies, and lessons that helped transform collaboration into action and opportunity for Baltimore's youth. The one-day workshop takes place immediately before the StriveTogether 2026 Cradle-to-Career Network Convening (September 30–October 2, 2026). While attendance at both events is optional, they are designed to complement one another. 

Through interactive sessions and examples from Baltimore, participants will gain an inside look at how cross-sector collaboration becomes measurable impact before the national convening begins. The convening brings together community leaders from across the country who are working toward a shared goal: helping 4 million more young people achieve economic mobility by 2030. Together, participants will learn from local successes, exchange ideas, and explore strategies that advance opportunity from neighborhood to national scale. Register and find program details here.

Dates: Tuesday, September 29, 2026

Location: Baltimore Unity Hall, 1505 Eutaw Place, Baltimore, MD 21217

Audience: Cradle-to-career leaders, backbone organizations, funders, public agency partners, workforce leaders, data practitioners, youth engagement leaders, and cross-sector teams

Registration Fees

-$250: For Non-Maryland Residents and StriveTogether General Attendees

-$200: For Maryland Residents or StriveTogether Network Members 

There is an optional Baltimore's Promise hoodie add-on for $25 available on the registration page.

Register by September 1, 2026. Space is limited. Questions? Event Contact info@baltimorespromise.org.

REGISTER NOW
 

What you'll experience

Join us! Participants will go behind the scenes of Baltimore's Promise's work - the partnerships, tools, governance structures, data practices, funding models, youth leadership strategies, and hard-won lessons that make systems change possible.

Four Baltimore-tested learning tracks:

  1. Data Systems & Governance: Learn how Baltimore partners are building data-sharing infrastructure, governance practices, and actionable data tools that help communities make better decisions for young people.

  2. Intergenerational Governance & Power Sharing: Move beyond youth voice to examine what it takes to formalize shared power through governance structures, compensation, decision-making roles, budget choices, and organizational design.

  3. CareerBound & Youth Apprenticeship Ecosystems: Explore how Baltimore is braiding partners, public systems, employers, funding, and credentialing pathways to help more young people move toward economic mobility.

  4. Philanthropic Alignment & Summer Ecosystem Building: Go inside the structures, relationships, trust-building practices, and funding models that help communities align resources around shared outcomes.

You will leave with frameworks, tools, peer connections, and concrete next steps to bring back to your own community.

Invite a friend! We have drafted social media content and flyers to share with others who may be interested in joining!

Convening Frequently Asked Questions

This is not another conference session. You already know the big ideas: collective impact, cross-sector partnership, shared accountability, youth-centered systems change, and economic mobility. For questions about registration, contact Carolyn Dorf.

  • This experience is built for cradle-to-career leaders who want to move beyond big ideas and into practical implementation. It is especially valuable for backbone organization leaders, data and evaluation leaders, youth engagement and governance leads, workforce and career pathways leaders, public agency partners, funders, philanthropic collaboratives, community partnership leaders, and cross-sector teams attending the StriveTogether Convening.

  • This is an immersive learning experience built around real implementation. You'll spend extended time exploring the decisions, tradeoffs, and challenges behind systems change, work through practical tools and frameworks you can adapt locally, collaborate with peers facing similar challenges, and experience Baltimore's people, neighborhoods, culture, and civic leadership as part of the learning.

  • Together, we'll tackle questions such as:

    • How do we build and sustain trust across sectors?

    • How do we move from youth voice to shared decision-making?

    • How do we build data systems that improve decisions, not just reporting?

    • How do we align public systems, employers, and funders around economic mobility?

    • How do we scale local success into models others can adapt?

  • Yes. Teams are encouraged to attend together. You can split across learning tracks, compare insights throughout the event, and return home with a shared understanding and a stronger plan for action.

  • Systems Change Unlocked: Baltimore-Tested Tools for Cradle-to-Career will be held at Baltimore Unity Hall, 1505 Eutaw Place, Baltimore, MD 21217.

  • The preferred payment method is credit card, but to pay for an individual or group registration fees by invoice, please email Carolyn Dorf at dorf@collaborativecommunications.com.

  • The event will take place on Tuesday, September 29, 2026.

    Tentative Schedule

    8:30 - 9:00 AM | Arrival and Coffee
    9:00 - 10:00 AM |Opening
    9:30 AM - 12:30 PM | AM Learning Tracks
    12:30 - 1:20 PM | Lunch
    1:30 - 2:00 PM | Regrounding
    2:00 to 4:30 PM | PM Learning Tracks
    4:30 to 5:00 PM | Closing
    5:00 - 7:30 PM | Cultural Experience and Dinner

  • Your registration includes morning coffee, lunch, and dinner during the evening cultural experience.

  • Attendees are responsible for arranging their own transportation to Baltimore Unity Hall at the start of the day. An evening cultural experience and dinner will take place from 5:30–7:30 p.m. Complimentary bus transportation will be provided from Baltimore Unity Hall to the cultural experience venue and then to the Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor (the StriveTogether conference hotel) at the conclusion of the evening. Local attendees are welcome to drive or use a rideshare service to travel directly to the cultural experience.

  • Yes. Ample street parking is available near Baltimore Unity Hall. Paid parking is also available at Fitzgerald Garage, located at 1201 W. Mt. Royal Ave., Baltimore, MD 21217, approximately a 15-minute walk from the venue.

  • Yes. Each track includes tools and materials shared during the event, along with additional resources for communities who want to go deeper. For those interested, Baltimore's Promise offers consultative support as a paid engagement beyond the convening.

  • You'll leave with practical tools and frameworks, examples of governance, funding, partnership, and data structures, new peer connections from across the cradle-to-career field, a concrete next step from your track's application activity, and a deeper understanding of Baltimore's Promise's approach to systems change.

Space is limited, and teams are encouraged to reserve spots early so they can select tracks and plan travel: Register today!

Questions? Event and general questions, contact info@baltimorespromise.org. For registration-specific questions, contact Carolyn Dorf.