Ascending in Baltimore: Vision, Leaders, and Proof in One City, One Week

Forward With Families is about activating state- and community-based ecosystems — and over one recent week, Ascend headed to Baltimore to show what that looks like in action. Across three convenings, hosted by three different sets of funders in a single city, Ascend Fellows and staff were the connective tissue: the same network of leaders moving from room to room to continue scaling what works for families through stronger alignment, leadership, and action.

These three seemingly separate events make an important point: an activated ecosystem features a shared vision, the leaders to carry it, and proof it’s already working, all moving together. Here’s what this looked like in Baltimore.

A Shared Vision, Rooted in Families’ Aspirations

The Leaders to Carry It

Proof It’s Already Working