The world of education advocacy has changed a lot in the five years since we first launched 50CAN. There are many more organizations to partner with, big new issues under debate and major gains in cities and states across the country. Yet, as we look to the future, the core beliefs upon which 50CAN was founded remain the starting point for all our work.

Back in 2010 we recognized that the most important challenges in education policy would be at the local level. We decided that the best way to support change was to build a national team to get behind talented local leaders and help them lead the way. And we committed ourselves not to a rigid way of doing things but instead to a model of continuous adaption, iteration and improvement.

This approach has helped us attract a talented and committed team of 40 advocates, supported by an influential network of 49 local board members. Together these advocates and community leaders have raised more than $25 million dollars to support our local campaigns and secured 43 policy wins for kids across the nation.