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The Promising Practices Network (PPN) is a group of individuals and organizations who are dedicated to providing quality evidence-based information about what works to improve the lives of children, families, and communities. Who runs PPN? This project is operated by the RAND Corporation, the nation's original "think tank." RAND is a nonprofit research organization providing objective analysis and effective solutions that address challenges facing the public and private sectors around the world. Long recognized as one of the world's premier research organizations, RAND produces work of enduring value-research and analysis that is prized and respected for its quality, innovation, comprehensiveness, and objectivity. The wide dissemination of its findings is an equally important part of RAND's mission: research must be readily accessible to policymakers if it is to have impact on the public good. RAND brings to PPN extensive experience in the child policy arena, with more than 150 researchers and consultants working in areas such as child health, juvenile justice, education, child care, labor, and demographics. RAND's analysis has shaped public policy on a range of problems facing young people, including prenatal health, substance abuse, firearms violence, and early childhood interventions.

"The Reemployment Works! Community of Practice is a communications vehicle to offer technical assistance, share promising practices, and network with colleagues in the Workforce and Economic Development world. Workforce3One currently has over 50,000 registrants from every corner of our workforce world, not just the public workforce system: Business and Industry, Education and Training, Non-Governmental organizations and Community-based organizations, Faith-based organizations, organized labor. To date, our knowledge-sharing tool, Workforce3One has been a repository for tools and resources that complement the technical assistance offered by ETA and peer-to-peer learning. Using social media and Web 2.0 technology, we can take this to another level. You may consider the Reemployment Community of Practice an exclusive, professional club. Exclusive (we're inviting only 50,000 of our closest associates), professional (we're offering technical assistance to build the capacity of the public workforce system) club (we'd like to keep the engagement informal and socially comfortable). Through our Community of Practice (CoP) we can open more two-way exchanges among thought-leaders and workforce system learners. We can communicate in real time and continue "conversations" we started at a forum, a Webinar, a conference call, etc. We can upload documents to the Wiki section and ask our colleagues to edit them or offer comments. Wikis can also be used to document what's happening in your region on a particular topic. Our CoP can be used to jump start collaboration on a project and to engage in peer-to-peer learning activities. The CoP also complements our blended learning strategy . Now our colleagues can view a PodCast that introduces or defines a topic, then move to a wiki document to be share or edit content, then participate in a Webinar to learn more and to brainstorm further, and then join a discussion thread on the CoP to "continue

"Our Work With more than 300 national partner organizations and their local affiliates, the Alliance is uniquely positioned to mobilize Americans to act. We have made a top priority of ensuring that all young people graduate from high school ready for college, work and life through an on-going Dropout Prevention initiative. Our work involves raising awareness, encouraging action and engaging in advocacy to provide children the key supports we call the Five Promises: Caring adults such as parents, teachers, mentors, coaches and neighbors Safe places that offer constructive activities when young people are not in school A healthy start and healthy development An effective education that prepares young people for college and work Opportunities to help others through service"

The National Center for Technology Innovation (NCTI) advances learning opportunities for individuals with disabilities by fostering technology innovation. Specifically, we help researchers, product developers, manufacturers and publishers to create and commercialize products of value to students with special needs. To achieve its goals NCTI offers services to: *Analyze needs, issues, trends, and promising technology innovations *Cultivate a collaborative network *Promote reliable research-based solutions *Facilitate successful commercialization approaches for the education market; Funded by the U.S. Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), NCTI works with a deep and supportive community of government, nonprofit, and private organizations. Our network of individuals and staff is dedicated not only to the development of powerful assistive technologies but to the commercial success that will make them viable on a large scale.

The PPN website is a unique resource that offers credible, research-based information on what works to improve the lives of children and families. Sometimes referred to as a "best practices" site or a "model program" site, PPN is both of those things and much more. In addition to providing information on Programs that Work, PPN also links to additional research information in all areas related to child well-being, including their physical and mental health, academic success, and economic security. These additional resources include Research in Brief, Resources and Tools and Expert Perspectives. To promote successful implementation of best practices and model programs, PPN also screens and posts evidence-based information on effective Service Delivery. In addition to the breadth of information PPN provides, visitors can rely on PPN to provide information that has met our high standards for scientific credibility, objectivity, and clarity. Learn about our process for reviewing information for inclusion on the site and how to submit a program for consideration.

"From the start I was expected to lose. Everything I have right now is mostly because I defied what the world concluded about me before I could even speak a word in my defense. And my defense is that I am just as capable as any person to do great things. Like you, I think about all the things this world could achieve if only every child was given the right tools. Mentoring is the right tool and it is the way to the American Dream. To everyone here tonight, I hope you will promise to do everything you can to help make mentoring and the American Dream a reality for every child in this city and every other city in the country. It's their best defense, too. -- Ean Garrett, Mentee at the MENTOR National Recognition Event"

"Workforce3 One, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration (ETA), is an interactive communications and learning platform designed to build the capacity of the Workforce Investment System (WIS) to develop strategies that enable individuals to be successful in the 21st century economy. This platform provides online insight into the skills and competencies required by business and industry through the innovative workforce solutions identified by a wide range of strategic partners and grantees. Workforce3 One: Allows the workforce system, educators, business and industry, and others to share their innovative approaches, products, and tools; Offers online learning events (webinars) that highlight promising practices and provides a space to share ideas; Provides a vehicle for ETA to share information and products developed at the national level; Serves as a key point of dissemination for the approaches, products, and tools for High Growth, Community-Based Job Training grants, and Workforce in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) Initiative; Offers a current searchable database of 3,500 learning modules with additional material added weekly; and Provides and supports collaborative workspaces to allow individuals associated with the WIRED initiative regional economies to share information to support their socially networked leadership groups, partnerships, and strategies."