A New Promise for Families ensures every child and family the resources to thrive. Our goal is a future where no caregiver must choose between providing and family responsibilities. A future where every child enters school safely, fed, and ready to learn. And a future where every child has their basic needs met — and a liveable climate to call home.
Welcome to
The Futures Agenda offers a collective vision for a future that promises genuine safety and opportunity for all young people, regardless of who they are or where they live. Either we decide our futures — or they will.
Our vision is a world where every family and caregiver is supported, every young person has a bright future, and opportunity is never shaped by skin color, zip code, bank account, or any line of identity. The Futures Agenda is our blueprint for making this world possible.
Our vision is a world where every family and caregiver is supported, every young person has a bright future, and opportunity is never shaped by skin color, zip code, bank account, or any line of identity. The Futures Agenda is our blueprint for making this world possible.
A roadmap to youth thriving
A Roadmap to Youth Thriving looks to reshape the American education system and the supports that we provide to youth. It places youth empowerment and well-being at its core, prioritizing equitable access to high-quality education, robust mental and physical health services, enhanced community safety, and an end to punitive disciplinary measures.
A gateway to a fulfilling life
A Gateway to a Fulfilling Future empowers youth who have long been denied opportunities for career advancement, economic freedom, and higher education. Our goal is to build a pipeline that elevates all young people into economic opportunities that offer dignity and respect to everyone, irrespective of their chosen path — and that keeps this door open throughout a person’s life.
What is the Futures Agenda?
The Futures Agenda is a policy agenda that touches every aspect of a young person’s life — from cradle to professional success. It envisions a future where every child and family has the opportunity to flourish.
Why do we need this Futures Agenda?
Kids today face unprecedented challenges. COVID-19 disrupted lives worldwide, leaving youth to navigate shuttered schools, social isolation, and a lack of basic needs like food, shelter, and family income. Mental health has become a crisis for young people. And while they weather these issues, concerns around crime have created another danger — the resurgence of “tough on crime” rhetoric that may cause further criminalization of our most vulnerable communities.
We need a policy agenda that addresses these challenges head-on and fully champions young people — one that’s big enough, bold enough, and comprehensive enough to give youth and families what they need to thrive. The Futures Agenda is designed to be this roadmap.
Who are we?
We are a broad range of youth, youth advocates, educators, caregivers, and organizations representing education, public health, housing, racial equity, economic equity, climate, immigration, and other issue areas all dedicated to the core idea that all children deserve to thrive — and that only together can we make this safer, more promising, and more equitable tomorrow possible.
How can you change the future?
The Futures Agenda is a living document — and we want you to help shape these policies. Your voice matters as we build, refine, and increase support for these policies while ensuring youth have the tools to lead this advocacy.
Together, we can reshape the narrative, dismantle hollow rhetoric, and construct a future where opportunity is limitless. Be the change that the next generation deserves. Together, we’ll forge a path toward a future where every young person’s potential is fully realized.
The future is now!
