Dear John,
Thanks for all you’re doing to keep children in public conversation in a difficult time. I’m encouraged by the witness of people who show up for young people every day. Children’s Defense Fund is honored by our connection to you.
In a moment calling for bold vision and servant leadership, I hope you will join us and other partners as we consider ways to advance a policy agenda for children over the next year, leading into a critical mid-term election. On November 5-6 in Washington, D.C., we will convene the American Youth Policy Forum (AYPF), powered by CDF.
During the two-day convening at the Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Library, we hope to align and inspire hundreds of child advocates, policymakers, Congressional and Administration staff, researchers, and young people in analysis and strategy. Together, we will discuss how legislation can better serve young people.
We are pleased to be joined by leading thinkers on children’s health, education, immigration, and youth flourishing. Our keynote speakers will be: Dr. Richard Besser, president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; Lisa Lawson, president and CEO of the Annie E. Casey Foundation and author of Thrive: How the Science of the Adolescent Brain Helps Us Imagine a Better Future for All Children; Dr. John H. Jackson, president and CEO of the Schott Foundation for Public Education; and Cristina Jimenez, co-Founder of United We Dream, MacArthur “Genius” Fellow, and best-selling author of Dreaming of Home.
All leaders who care and advocate for children are welcome. Your voice would enrich the conversation. So, I hope you can join us.
