Afterschool, Organizational Learning
From Citywide to Neighborhood-Based: Two Decades of Learning, Prioritization, and Strategic Action to Build The Skillman Foundation’s Youth-Development Systems
This article is informed by evaluation reports and memos, interviews, meetings with foundation staff and community stakeholders, foundation documents, research from the field, and a previous article in The Foundation Review about Skillman’s work (Brown, Colombo, & Hughes, 2009). It chronicles the history, challenges, and lessons of Skillman’s commitment to youth-development programs and systems to increase access, quality, and scale to ensure the best results for kids, including the foundation’s 2013 strategic realignment and plans for the next decade.
The Skillman Foundation
A voice for children since 1960, The Skillman Foundation is a private philanthropy that serves as a fierce champion of Detroit children. The Foundation works to ensure Detroit youth achieve their highest aspirations by strengthening K-12 public education, afterschool learning opportunities, and college and career pathways.