FCF President and CEO, Gerald Cutts, addressed school superintendents and other national leaders at the National Conference of “The School of the 21^st Century” in Little Rock, Arkansas on July 24, 2007.  Cutts presented lessons for the K12 school reform movement from the experiences of the early childhood field in developing strategies to position the private sector as leaders and spokespersons for investments in young children. 

The School of the 21^st Century (21C) is a community school model that incorporates early childhood programs, after-school care, and other family support services designed to promote the optimal growth and development of children beginning at birth.  The 21C model has proven successful in urban, rural, and suburban areas, as well as in affluent, middle class, and poor communities.  In many schools, 21C serves as an umbrella for an expanded array of programs, including adult education, youth development programs, health, and social services, that transform traditional schools into year-round, multi-service centers.  To learn more about the 21C model, visit http://www.yale.edu/21C/