An Align and Design Team is a specific cross-sector workgroup focused on creating landscape analyses, and strategies, and identifying initiatives and solutions to close the disparity gaps identified in the landscape. These teams either align with community stakeholders around a common purpose or design a coordinated approach to address specific systemic issues identified The team is made up of representatives from key entities, community leaders, Content Experts, Lived Experience Experts, and other stakeholders invested in the field. 

Led by KConnect’s Director of System Change, Maegan Frierson, we currently have four active Align and Design Teams: Business Ownership, Workforce Development, College Enrollment, and Culturally Responsive Instruction.

Business Ownership

The Business Ownership team, funders, and community partners will conduct a site visit to the Cincinnati Minority Business Accelerator housed at the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber to collectively build strategies to attract, retain, and scale entrepreneurs of color and their businesses in Kent County.

The purpose is to connect with thriving communities outside of Kent County regarding best practices and models that support entrepreneurs of color.

YEAR ONE IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES:

• Strategy One: Engage cross-sector partners to design infrastructure and incentives that support resource sharing and synergies for entrepreneurs of color in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
• Strategy Two: Support black and brown businesses with the potential to scale through the support of developing and accessing the right capital stack, joint ventures, and acquisitions.
• Strategy Three: Support black and brown businesses with the needed access to buyers/contracts and back office supports to scale.

YEAR TWO IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY:

Develop a plan to attract larger and scalable minority-owned businesses to Grand Rapids.

Workforce Development

The Workforce Development team launched and will have data on the dashboard in 2024. This team will align with KConnect’s Policy Priorities and the state of Michigan’s Sixty by 30 initiative.

College Enrollment

Bridging coordinated efforts between community, school districts, and post-secondary intuitions to elevate services, resources, and programming to students of color to increase college enrollment and attainment by 20% for economic prosperity in Kent County. 

YEAR ONE IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES

• Strategy One: Disseminate information about post-secondary opportunities and resources across various platforms, ensuring consistent messaging and reaching a wide audience.
• Strategy Two: Implement a comprehensive support framework that involves collaboration among multiple stakeholders, including educational institutions, community organizations, and service providers, to address the diverse needs of students and ensure holistic support throughout their college journey.
• Strategy Three: Create alignment and establish an integrated system that consolidates all college-related services and resources, providing a seamless experience for students to access support, guidance, and information in one place.

Culturally Responsive Instruction

Building off the work of Dr. Brandy Lovelady Mitchell’s Educators of the Yam initiative, KConnect launched the Shades of Strength Collaborative (SOS Collaborative) alongside local educators of color in Kent County.

The SOS Collaborative is a dedicated network fostering a supportive and enriching community for PK-12 educators of color in Kent County. A needs assessment for educators revealed their top priorities: mentorship, community events, space to be heard and to share experiences, and the ability to collaborate and commune with colleagues. The overarching vision is to establish a platform that champions equity, celebrates diversity, and actively supports the retention of people of color in the Kent County PK-12 system, ultimately leading to equitable educational experiences and enhanced outcomes for all students.

Shades of Strength is partnering with the Educators of Color Network (GVSU) in a Professional Learning Community around the work of author Dr. Rita Kohli’s book, Teachers of Color: Resisting Racism and Reclaiming Education. This Professional Learning Community will include Kent County in-service education professionals of color and pre-service education students of color. KConnect provided a book pickup experience involving conversation and appetizers, two virtual discussion sessions, and a reflection reception. In the Spring of 2024, Dr. Rita Kohli delivered an in-person learning experience, followed by a celebratory reception for all participating Kent County
educators of color.

Explore the Culturally Responsive Instruction 360-Degree Model