June 3, 2025
By Nancy Van Milligan, President and CEO of Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque
The first in a new series of blog posts chronicling Community Foundation of Dubuque’s work with the GRAD Partnership, cross-posted from the Foundation’s website.
When we signed on as an Intermediary partner with the GRAD Partnership – an initiative housed in Johns Hopkins University’s Everyone Graduates Center – my professional excitement was matched only by my personal investment in this work. As President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque, I’ve spent years witnessing the power of collective impact to transform systems. As the grandmother and guardian of two teenage boys navigating high school in a post-pandemic world, I’ve experienced firsthand the urgent need for that transformation in schools.
A Tale of Two Tables
Around the table in our foundation’s boardroom, we discuss data, frameworks, and evidence-based approaches. We strategize about backbone organizations and sustainable models for change. We reflect on the challenges facing our youth and hone in on systemic solutions. We speak confidently about our seven-county rural region and our proven ability to bring stakeholders together.
At my kitchen table, the conversation is different. There, I watch my grandsons struggle with homework assignments, their attention constantly pulled to the notifications lighting up their phones. I witness their disconnection from school, their uncertainty about how to form meaningful friendships, and their questioning of why they need to learn facts when AI can provide answers instantly.
These boys, who were in middle school during COVID, missed critical developmental milestones in their education. The isolation interrupted their opportunity to practice social skills, develop study habits, and build confidence in fundamental academic abilities. Now in high school, they’re trying to navigate a world that expects them to have mastered these skills in the face of invisible barriers created by the lingering effects of pandemic isolation.
This is not just my family’s story. It’s playing out in homes across our region and throughout America.
Why the GRAD Partnership Matters
What excites me about the GRAD Partnership framework is that it addresses precisely the challenges I see in both the boardroom and the kitchen – not with theoretical solutions, but with practical, proven strategies. The initiative focuses on reducing absenteeism and course failures by creating systems that identify struggling students early and connecting them with targeted support.
Most schools have some form of student success teams, but GRAD Partnership provides an evidence-based framework that elevates their effectiveness and partners with schools, districts and Intermediary organizations to implement that framework in local contexts. What makes this approach different?
- It’s driven by actionable data: Teachers and support teams can identify warning signs early and intervene before students fall too far behind.
- It’s co-created: Teachers, students, families, and communities all have a voice in shaping solutions that work for their specific context.
- It’s student-centered: The approach recognizes that each student’s challenges and strengths are unique.
- It emphasizes supportive relationships: Research consistently shows that connection is a prerequisite for academic success.
When I think about my grandsons feeling like they don’t belong at school, not knowing how to make friends, and being constantly distracted by technology, I see how these four elements could transform their experience. I imagine teachers empowered to create phone-free learning environments and students discovering the relevance of education to their lives beyond memorizing facts.
Building a Sustainable Future
As the Community Foundation steps into its role as the backbone organization for GRAD Partnership in our region, we’re not just implementing another program. We’re leveraging our deep experience in collective impact to ensure this initiative takes root and flourishes.
Our vision extends beyond our seven counties. We believe this model has the potential to go statewide, creating a more equitable and effective education system across Iowa. But sustainability requires more than hope – it demands intentional planning, committed partnerships, and a clear demonstration of impact.
That’s why I’ll be sharing our journey through this monthly blog. I’ll document our successes, our challenges, and the lessons we learn along the way. I’ll highlight the voices of students, teachers, and families whose experiences shape and are shaped by this work.
Where Professional Meets Personal
I began this reflection by noting how my professional role and personal experience converge in this work. As we move forward with GRAD Partnership, I’m grateful for this intersection. My grandsons’ struggles inform my understanding of what’s at stake, while my professional experience provides tools to address these challenges systematically.
In the months ahead, I look forward to sharing stories of transformation – both from our region’s schools and, perhaps, from my own kitchen table. Because when we create systems where all students feel they belong, where they build meaningful connections, and where they discover the relevance of learning to their lives, we don’t just improve graduation rates. We open doors to futures filled with possibilities.
This is the first in a series about our work with the GRAD Partnership. Next time, I’ll introduce you to some of the dedicated educators implementing this framework in our rural schools.
Nancy Van Milligen is the President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque. The foundation serves as a catalyst for positive change in northeast Iowa through philanthropic giving, strategic partnerships, and community leadership.