On August 20, over 50 community leaders representing K-12 and higher education, human services, healthcare, workforce development, and youth services assembled for a combined convening of the Step Forward Networks held at The Harbor family resource center in Shreveport. Step Forward, an initiative of Community Foundation of North Louisiana (CFNLA), unites community leaders and employs data-driven strategies to create a brighter future for all children in North Louisiana, with a special focus on the challenges faced by children of color and children in poverty.
Step Forward’s three network programs – Building Futures, Building Foundations, Building Resilience, and the Teen Advisory Committee (TAC) – share a common goal to support every child in securing a sustainable, living-wage job by age 25 through early childhood development, youth advocacy, resilience-building, and workforce development. Step Forward was established as a CFNLA initiative in 2013 and is led by CFNLA Director of Special Initiatives Carla Burgos.
“Step Forward is a catalyst for transformative change, bridging divides and uniting diverse stakeholders around a shared vision,” said Burgos. “As capacity builders, we invest in key partners and intermediaries to amplify our impact. We disseminate data, offer resources to advance key strategies, and facilitate partnerships to address gaps. Through effective communication, we elevate community voices, fostering connections with influential audiences who can amplify their impact. Through convening and strategic partnerships, we illuminate pathways and advocate for a long-term vision for vulnerable children and their families. Step Forward empowers communities to shape their own futures, fostering a more just and resilient society for all.”
Network partners shared brief updates on their programs and upcoming activities during the convening and highlighted opportunities for other partners and community members to collaborate in the common cause of supporting children and youth. Participants were also able to hear first-hand about new initiatives with a broad positive impact for youth, such as the Caddo Parish Schools effort to identify and address the root causes of chronic absenteeism by focusing on proactive and welcoming family support. Caddo’s team of school-based Parent Educators and other administrators are working closely with Step Forward network partners at Volunteers for Youth Justice/The Harbor to provide referrals to services that may help to address some of these root causes, including hunger, trauma, mental health, or lack of transportation.
“Over the years, Step Forward has made a lasting impact by serving countless families through its collaboration with the Family and Community Engagement Department and Parent Resource Center of Caddo Parish Public Schools,” said Nicole Howard-Francis, Parent Educator with Caddo Schools. “From educating families on the importance of kindergarten readiness to equipping parents and caregivers with tools to support the social and emotional development of children, Step Forward has remained on the frontlines of education, helping to bridge the gap between schools and homes.”
Step Forward network partners will continue to gather throughout the coming year to share needs, challenges, and successes from the work their organizations undertake to benefit children and youth. Each network links organizations and individuals with expertise in a particular area and encourages the partners to collaborate and coordinate resources to better meet needs.
“Being a member of the Step Forward network has strengthened our ability to serve youth and families by connecting us to resources and partnerships we could not achieve alone,” said Damita Braswell of Volunteers of America North Louisiana. “Going into the 2025-2026 school year, Step Forward supported our efforts to ensure children were prepared to return to school by providing essential school supplies. Through this collaboration, we are better equipped to make sure that the children have the essential school supplies that help young people thrive in school.”
In 2024, the Building Futures network focused on engaging community partners to address the challenges hindering student exposure to career and workforce training, while Building Foundations reached nearly 200 parents through the “Bouncin’ Back” series focused on raising awareness about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), toxic stress, and resilience.
Dr. Sharon F. Green, executive director of Oasis of Hope Louisiana, works within the Building Futures network to provide programs supporting postsecondary persistence and career training.
“Step Forward has been an invaluable partner in strengthening our capacity to support vulnerable communities,” said Green. “Through this network, we gain access to data, collaboration, and resources that allow us to be more strategic in helping students overcome barriers, persist in school, and prepare for meaningful careers. The collective commitment of Step Forward empowers organizations like ours to not only serve students more effectively, but also to transform the course of their lives.”
The Building Resilience network also focused on ACEs awareness, training 278 parents in 23 Parent ACEs Talks and providing Trauma-Informed Care and Applied Suicide Intervention Skills training to community partners to address rising suicide rates. Teen Advisory Committee members led the Mental Health Wellness Survey to assess teen mental health needs, educated lawmakers on teen mental health, promoted suicide prevention, and participated in the Shreve Memorial Library’s Children’s Book Festival to support literacy.
“Step Forward has created a support network for agencies and groups that serve children and families,” noted Shelley Ryan Gray of the Louisiana Department of Health, Office of Public Health. “As a result, we have strengthened our ability, as a community, to provide families with the resources they need to thrive. As a member of the network, I have been informed, inspired, and challenged.”
Bonnie Hughes of Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport emphasized the importance of her organization’s participation as a Step Forward network partner.
“Our affiliation with Step Forward empowers our hospital to better understand and address the barriers faced by children in our community,” said Hughes. “By working alongside other community partners, we gain invaluable insight that helps us provide more compassionate, comprehensive care – not just within our hospital walls, but in the lives of the families we serve.”
Organizations represented at the Step Forward convening included:
- Aetna
- Caddo Community Action Agency/HeadStart
- Caddo Juvenile Detention Center
- Caddo Parish Schools
- Career Compass
- City of Shreveport
- Goodwill Industries
- Highland Center
- Humana
- Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living
- Louisiana Department of Health – Office of Public Health
- LSU Ag Center
- LSU Health Sciences Center
- LSUS
- Louisiana Workforce Commission
- North Louisiana Technical Community College
- Oasis of Hope Louisiana
- Providence House
- SciPort
- Shreve Memorial Library
- United Healthcare
- Volunteers of America North Louisiana
- Volunteers for Youth Justice.
For more information about the Step Forward Network, visit cfnla.org/stepforward or contact Carla Burgos at [email protected].
