CEO Letter: Welcome to Fall, Everyone

Hi everyone,

Wow, what a start to Fall it’s been! Between moving houses, managing an audit, and wrapping up our fiscal year, it’s been a whirlwind for my family and me. Despite the many moving pieces, I've been embracing mindfulness in my daily routine—taking a few moments each morning to meditate, read the texts of my faith, and center myself before diving into the day. It’s been a game-changer, helping me find peace amid the busyness, a routine I’ve been doing for over a decade.

Here we are, entering another school year at our 8 Restart SMART sites. I’m excited for another year of evolution for Higher Ground as an organization and for my own personal growth as a CEO. 

I’ve been reflecting on some questions lately. How can we bridge the gap between technology and human-centered solutions? How do we ensure that the speed of the advancement in our technologies does not exponentially widen the opportunity gaps in our communities? These are the kinds of things that keep me up at night.

What I’ve been up to

As I navigate the complexities of community engagement at Higher Ground, I realize that our team is on a transformative journey that requires a careful, introspective, and balanced approach.

Higher Ground’s mission is not just about expanding our reach but also about deepening our connections within the communities we serve and ensuring that our organizational structure supports the growth that comes with the momentum towards our vision.

I had the privilege of being one of the few invited to the exclusive "US Department of Education: Strengthening Whole Child Communities: Raising the Bar from Cradle to Career" summit in Detroit. This summit, recognized nationally, highlights the growing momentum behind our work in community school implementation. Despite being one of the youngest initiatives, our approach is already being seen as a national model and emerging leader in the field. A central theme of the summit was the importance of youth voice and leadership, a principle that we hold dearly. Our organization has progressed this far because we continually honor our youth and families as equal decision-makers, we have integrated their ideas into our strategy, driving our success and innovation. We believe that our youth and families are the experts in their lives, and we must partner with them in every solution we work on. This approach not only aligns with the focus of the summit but also reflects my own experiences as a young leader in this space. 

Prior to Detroit, we had the opportunity to present at the IEL’s Community School Family Engagement Summit in Atlanta, where we showcased our innovative models through interactive workshops. We are the first Arizona organization ever invited to present workshops in the history of this annual community school conference. What made this experience powerful was that the workshops were in collaboration with our principals, school leaders, community leaders, and data scientists. They were at the forefront, sharing their perspectives about our work and strategies. This authentic representation of our work resonated deeply, resulting in multiple audiences planning visits to Arizona to witness our community schools in action firsthand. 

Heading into a new school year

For this upcoming school year, our primary focus is on embedding a sustainable high-quality community schools model that serves as a national role model. 

Community schools are more than just an educational framework; they are a comprehensive approach to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment where students, families, and communities thrive together. It transforms traditional educational structures into vibrant community hubs, and we are committed to this vision with every step we take.

In the year ahead, our objective is to become fully embedded in the schools we partner with. This means aligning school efforts under the community school strategy, where every initiative supports our broader goal of transforming schools into full-service community hubs.

To achieve this, we need to provide clearer communications and blueprints, helping educators and the community understand the values and goals of community schools. This involves training on the methods and the significance of a community school culture, emphasizing that building character skills with a trauma-responsive approach is integral to the school's fabric and begins with the adults.

Building resilience within—and around us

Over this past year, Higher Ground has experienced significant growth, which brings both exciting opportunities and unique challenges. 

Our immediate priority is to tighten internal communications and business operations. Clear communication channels are essential to ensure everyone knows their roles and responsibilities, facilitating better collaboration across departments. We aim to formalize these processes, creating a robust internal communication chart to guide our operations.

Additionally, we are enhancing our training components, specifically our learning management systems, to provide clear milestones and pathways for growth. This involves ensuring our staffing aligns with our strategic goals, with each department having the right people in place for effective collaboration and operation.

A critical area for development is the diversification of our funding sources. We are actively working on a strategy that will involve bringing in a dedicated person to lead this effort. Our goal is to establish a clear strategy with milestones and a RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) chart to guide our efforts in achieving financial sustainability and diversification.

Moreover, we need to attract new donors, particularly untapped younger demographics who resonate with our mission and have a vested interest in education and community development. Engaging these donors requires innovative approaches and a clear narrative that aligns with their values.

This involves initiating statewide dialogues and engaging various sectors beyond education and nonprofits. We want to see other community sectors, such as local businesses and governmental bodies, actively discussing and supporting the community school framework.

Concluding thoughts

Balancing visionary thinking with practical management is a learning curve. Our organization has grown larger and more complex than ever, and our momentum continues to increase. Recognizing the dangers of success and the distractions that lead to mission drifting, I’m committed to avoiding those pitfalls. I will continue to have mentors around me who have successfully navigated similar situations.

Success, to me, has always been about staying open to learning new ways of learning and navigating bigger challenges. It’s a lot like my martial arts journey– a never-ending path to improvement. Learning, building skills, and growth excites me. It’s an honor to contribute to the next phase of our journey–fulfilling the mission that we started in my living room 17 years ago.

As we continue to build and grow, I look forward to the possibilities ahead. Higher Ground is more than just an organization; it’s a movement toward a better future for education and community. Thanks for being a part of this journey with me.

If any of this resonates with you, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Let’s connect and explore how we can work together to drive positive change.

Until next time,

Jansen