The 2Gen (or two-generation) Approach is a philosophy that families are strengthened when there is an intentional, simultaneous focus on children and the adults in their lives. By centering the voice of families--as they define themselves--2Gen strategies involve holistic supports that lead to empowering outcomes.
While many public and nonprofit programs focus solely on children or adults, 2Gen synthesizes these supports to help families create economic security and social mobility.
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Kirsten Russell
Vice President, Community Impact
impact@cfsarasota.org
Although a 2Gen approach to stability is as old as the family unit itself, these strategies became more formal and visible through the work of the Ascend at the Aspen Institute, which published "Two Generations, One Future" in 2012. Since then, Ascend at the Aspen Institute has led 2Gen, supporting initiatives in communities around the nation.
For more than a decade, the Community Foundation has partnered with Ascend, bringing strategies that center parent voices, address inequities, and build family strength in Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte and DeSoto counties.
Key Components
Research indicates that areas that can be systematically changed to achieve equity and enhance overall wellbeing for families primarily fall under education (early through post-secondary), social capital, health, and economic security. The graphic below breaks down each component into measurable elements.
2Gen in Action
The six components of a 2Gen approach work interdependently, and programs that embrace the 2Gen philosophy will intentionally incorporate several components at once. Imagine a tapestry woven of different threads: education, economic empowerment, social capital... strong 2Gen programs, like a tapestry, weave different threads into the fabric, unraveling if one component or another is not present.
Thoughtful programming that nurtures and benefits the entire family--both immediately and in the long run--are at the heart of the 2Gen approach to wellbeing.
With that said, these components drive 2Gen strategies, and here's a look at initiatives in our community that the Community Foundation has led or invested in, classified by their dominant domain/component.
Component One: Early Childhood Education
Literacy is widely regarded the key to learning, yet research from the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity indicates that roughly one in five people live with dyslexia, an unexpected difficulty in reading.
Since 2018, our foundation has managed the Strauss Literacy Initiative, which addresses difficulty in reading and helps strengthen pathways to improved literacy through partnerships with educational providers.
With the understanding that early intervention is most effective for mitigating dyslexia's challenges, a key partner in delivering services is the Early Learning Coalition of Sarasota County. Together with educators and affected parents, it is the goal of the Strauss Initiative to develop strong reading skills from an early age.
Component Two: K-12
Schools can act as community anchors when educators, students, and parents work together to build pathways for the future.
Our Community Foundation's investment in K-12 education is varied. Summer Learning Academies, now in operation at all Sarasota County elementary schools, offer free, quality summer instruction to students to mitigate the often inequitable effects of "summer slide" while also providing an opporutnity for parents to continue to work without disruption.
Together with many community partners, our Community Foundation invests in the Suncoast Campaign for Grade Level Reading, concentrating on strengthening literacy skills that are the building blocks for successful outcomes.
Component Three: Postsecondary & Employment Pathways
Research indicates that parent educational attainment is the largest predictor of a child's success, both in school and later in life. This makes providing pathways to in-demand, lucrative careers an important component of 2Gen strategy.
A leading provider of scholarships in the four-county area, the Community Foundation of Sarasota County awarded more than $40 million in assistance to traditional students as well as adults returning to school.
While financial assistance is critical, so too is a collaborative effort that removes other barriers from people pursuing higher education, especially for parents returning to school. Meeting parents where they are and ensuring that they are supported through the process is key, which has led to the implementation of a Parent Success Program that creates access and provides essential supports throughout the educational journey.
Component Four: Social Capital
While individual motivation is critical to progress, collective input is often key to the most successful outcomes. Social capital—the networks of trusted relationships that enable society to run effectively—is a necessity.
Through Parent University, a component of Summer Learning Academies, and cohort-based educational opportunities, parents have an opportunity to meet with other like-minded people that can form bonds that build social capital.
Parents in cohort groups that are earning their credentials, simultaneous to achieving an education also gain relationships with peers that last a lifetime.
The Parent Education Navigator is a role initially funded by the Community Foundation, now a position supported by Sarasota County Schools, that helps parents navigate the complex system of resources as they re-imagine their possibilities.
Component Five: Health, Including Mental Health
With one in six adults in Sarasota County living without health insurance, the need for affordable and accessible healthcare is dire.
Our Community Foundation has partnered with several nonprofits delivering quality healthcare and counseling services to parents, families and children—either free or based on ability to pay. Some organizations include:
Component Six: Economic Assets
Shifting economic realities are placing stability further out of reach for many families—nearly 40 percent of single-parent Sarasota County households are rent-burdened.
Investments in affordable and workforce housing, such as Lofts on Lemon, have enabled affordable, dependable, and safe housing for many families.
The enduring safety net Season of Sharing, which in 24 years has distributed over $38 million to more than 50,000 families, has covered one-time expenses, like rent or mortgage, utilities, and other necessities so that families can rebound from economic setbacks.
On Feb. 6, 2024, our Community Foundation hosted a community-wide 2Gen Summit, where practitioners, parents, and policymakers came together to examine the ways in which our community has woven 2Gen approaches into programs and to learn new ideas for strengthening the region's intentional support of whole families.
2Gen Parent Success Impact Report 2020-2021
Investing in Whole Families:
The Impact of 2Gen Strategies in Early Learning
A Two-Generation Approach to Summer Learning
Community Leadership for 2Gen Approaches: A Case Study in Sarasota, Florida
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