Community spotlights: June 2026

Youth, families, leaders, advocates, community champions and changemakers  are coming together — to work across lines of difference — to spark possibility, act boldly and build lasting change as they imagine tomorrow, today. We saw it at our inaugural Every Child Thrives Festival and we see it throughout various media stories from June which point to the ways WKKF grantees are learning more and working together to improve the lives of children.  

• The Food Research and Action Center was quoted in a New Republic story on how cuts to SNAP in H.R.1 create new barriers for young adults.  

• In an Albany Times Union op-ed, A Better Balance argues that New York’s $170 weekly paid medical leave benefit is out of touch with modern life and needs updating.  

• Zero to Three’s new report on families with babies and toddlers in 2025 finds that parents face mounting challenges, yet nearly all could maintain the routines and connection their kids need.  

• The Hack Foundation has funded thousands of Hack Clubs, encouraging teens to code and create. In May, they convened 100 high school students to design and build together at a hardware hackathon.  

• The Teaching in Color Summit, hosted by the Center for Racial Equity in Education, united educators of color from across North Carolina for a day of learning and networking.  

Mexico  

• More than 100 traditional midwives from Campeche and Yucatán are co-creating the Comprehensive Program for the Socioemotional Well-Being of Traditional Midwives (PIBSE Parteras) to promote self-care, mental health and socioemotional well-being for caregivers.  

Michigan  

• Business, philanthropy and policy leaders at the Mackinac Policy Conference called for investments in childcare and family supports. They cited workforce needs, economic competitiveness and family stability across Michigan.  

• A new survey found Michigan parents report higher rates of debt, financial strain and scheduling instability than national peers, prompting calls for cross-sector solutions to strengthen family well-being.  

• Battle Creek Public Schools has more than tripled kindergarten readiness rates through expanded early childhood education, family engagement and community partnerships, offering a model for communities across Michigan.  

• Grand Rapids leaders opened Michigan’s first childcare center inside a bus station, a public-private partnership designed to expand affordable care and strengthen workforce access for families that use public transit.  

• Metro Detroit-based D’Artillery helps immigrant and refugee women build economic independence through sewing, entrepreneurship and workforce training programs. This creates pathways to income, business ownership and community support.  

• Michigan launched a statewide hub to help childcare businesses grow and remain sustainable. It connects providers with coaching, financing and technical support to expand access for families. 

Mississippi   

• Mississippi Children’s Museum was named “Best Attraction for Kids” in Mississippi Magazine’s Best of Mississippi 2026 awards, recognizing its leadership in hands-on learning and family engagement.  

• Mississippi Today won three awards in the 2025 Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism, including first place for reporting on Mississippi’s high rate of low-risk C-sections.   

Haiti  

• Through leadership programming, community service and wraparound student support, HELP’s Les Cayes partnership campus is deepening its commitment to the next generation of Haitian leaders.   

New Mexico  

• WKKF’s podcast, “Pass the Sopapillas,” hosted a live episode taping featuring guests from the Southern New Mexico Community Foundation, Partnership for Community Action, Dona Ana Community College’s Workforce Training Program and Family Youth Inc.

• The National Fund for Excellence in American Indian Education announced a $10 million U.S. Department of Education grant to boost early literacy in Bureau of Indian Education schools using culturally relevant instruction.  

New Orleans  

• Be Loud Studios and Gulf States Newsroom received a regional Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in Innovation. “Born After the Storm,” which features 16 New Orleans students sharing Hurricane Katrina stories, advances to national competition.  

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