Discover the growing evidence base for how relationships drive access to opportunity, and explore real-world examples of social capital design and measurement in action.
The data is clear: students want networks. When asked what skill they most regret not cultivating in college, nearly half of recent graduates cited networking, according to a 2020 Strada-Gallup College Alumni poll. The data is also clear that access to networks is not equally distributed: first-generation students and students of colour are much less likely than their peers […]
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Over the past few years, evidence about the profound link between social capital and economic mobility has expanded through both research and practice. Opportunity Insights’ study on economic connectedness and LinkedIn’s study on weak ties and job-getting are some examples At the same time, we’ve seen the rise of practice-based evidence, through efforts of leading […]
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As we wrap up 2023, we’re looking back on a great year’s worth of learning and connecting with many of you. This year, we deepened our work with three national intermediaries working across 20 career-connected learning sites to launch social capital pilots. Our partnerships with Education Strategy Group, Generation Schools Network, and Hawaii P-20 yielded […]
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In July 2023, our team published “People-powered pathways: Lessons in how to build students’ social capital through career-connected learning.” In the report, we describe successes and challenges in bringing social capital–building strategies to a variety of educational settings. Our observations draw from an 18-month pilot during which we leveraged our social capital playbook to provide […]
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Every few weeks I have breakfast with my friend John Bailey at a small corner cafe in Northern Virginia. We talk about everything from education research to elder dog care to impact investing. John is also my go-to on all things AI-related. Where I’ve merely dabbled, he’s become steeped in the cutting-edge affordances of new […]
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In July 2023, our team published “People-powered pathways: Lessons in how to build students’ social capital through career-connected learning.” In the report, we describe successes and challenges in bringing social capital–building strategies to a variety of educational settings. Our observations draw from an 18-month pilot during which we leveraged our social capital playbook to provide […]
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In July 2023, our team published “People-powered pathways: Lessons in how to build students’ social capital through career-connected learning.” In the report, we describe successes and challenges in bringing social capital–building strategies to a variety of educational settings. Our observations draw from an 18-month pilot during which we leveraged our social capital playbook to provide […]
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What does it take to launch a career in tech? As one of the fastest growing sectors of the last decade, that question has dominated career pathways conversations. But time and again, efforts to build and diversify the technology sector’s talent pipeline focus on tech skills while ignoring the role of networks in helping students […]
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In July 2023, our team published “People-powered pathways: Lessons in how to build students’ social capital through career-connected learning.” In the report, we describe successes and challenges in bringing social capital–building strategies to a variety of educational settings. Our observations draw from an 18-month pilot during which we leveraged our social capital playbook to provide […]
Learn More
In July 2023, our team published “People-powered pathways: Lessons in how to build students’ social capital through career-connected learning.” In the report, we describe successes and challenges in bringing social capital–building strategies to a variety of educational settings. Our observations draw from an 18-month pilot during which we leveraged our social capital playbook to provide […]
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In recent years, as more states and districts have wrestled with the definition of “college- and career-ready,” alternative postsecondary pathways have multiplied, and career-connected learning has gained steam, a new term has popped up in education: navigation. Navigation has slightly more expansive connotations than its predecessor, “guidance.” It’s not just about one single, high-stakes decision […]
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With college, the research suggests, comes connection. In recent years, multiple studies looking at economic mobility, friendship circles, and adults’ job, education, and housing networks, have revealed a consistent “connection premium” enjoyed by college grads. Most colleges aren’t shy about marketing themselves as hubs of connection. But if colleges care about equity and access, there’s […]
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What do kids need? That simple question is one that I ask myself daily as a parent. And I’m often overwhelmed by the litany of answers that friends, family, and the internet are willing to serve up on any given day. That’s why I was relieved and excited when I found out that my colleague […]
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In 2020, the Christensen Institute released our first Missing Metrics report, detailing how schools and nonprofits were starting to measure their students’ networks. In the three years since, the field has seen significant developments in surveys and other measurement strategies. As the urgency to understand and leverage social capital gains a stronger foothold across education, industry, and […]
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In most schools today, there’s a harsh reality: Students’ access to social capital—relationships and the array of resources they can offer—is inherently limited by their campus’ human capital: the employees on schools’ payroll. School-based relationships are critical sources of student support. But tight budgets spell small support networks. This is especially true when it comes […]
Learn More By now, many educators have probably heard about the sweeping Nature study that revealed that whom you interacted with as you grew up is a major determinant of future economic success. Specifically, children who had connections with peers from higher-income families ended up with higher incomes themselves. Relationships between young people from different socio-economic groups […]
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2022 marked a confusing year in the world of education innovation. As a friend and school leader said to me a few months ago, “Innovation is dead, right?” She was half joking while perfectly summing up something in the air last year in schools: a pandemic hangover mixed with ongoing, day-to-day challenges of running complex […]
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How do you talk to students about social capital? If you want students to deepen and expand their networks, what messages and experiences increase the likelihood that they’ll feel confident and inspired to do so? These questions come up frequently in our fieldwork. Although this is certainly an area where more R&D would benefit the […]
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A few months ago, a new study in Nature revealed a key predictor of economic mobility: connectedness. Specifically, researchers at Opportunity Insights found that relationships with higher-income students dramatically improved low-income students’ chances of upward mobility in adulthood, even more than traditional success metrics like school quality. The Opportunity Insights team garnered praise for the sheer size […]
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Summer internships are a proven gateway to jobs. But that gateway is not equally open to students from different backgrounds. Low-income, first-generation, and underrepresented students’ internship participation rates lag behind those of their wealthier, white peers. Moreover, access to paid internships, which are associated with long-term wage premiums, remains uneven along lines of race and class. Any organization with an internship program […]
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