Wilmington Selected For National Success Planning Network Led By Harvard’s EdRedesign Institute

Wilmington has been named one of six new communities nationwide to join the 2025–2026 Success Planning Community of Practice. (Photo courtesy of EdRedesign)

Wilmington, Delaware, has been named one of six new communities nationwide to join the 2025–2026 Success Planning Community of Practice, a national initiative led by the EdRedesign Lab’s Institute for Success Planning at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

The city joins a cohort of fifteen communities working to implement a personalized, relationship-based approach to youth development. The strategy, known as Success Planning, is designed to ensure every child is connected to a caring adult and receives coordinated support across school, health, and community sectors.

“EdRedesign each year selects communities from across the country to join our Institute for Success Planning Community of Practice that are best positioned to kickstart or advance their local Success Planning work,” said Tauheedah Jackson, EdRedesign Deputy Director and Director of the Institute for Success Planning.

EdRedesign selected Wilmington for the 2025–2026 Community of Practice based on several key factors, including the city’s commitment to expanding opportunities for all children and youth, its focus on individualized, relationship-based support, and evidence of strong collaboration across local organizations. The team of cross-sector leaders in Wilmington demonstrated the potential to build on existing efforts and align them with the Success Planning model to strengthen and coordinate support systems for children and families.

The Wilmington team includes REACH Riverside, Kingswood Community Center, The Warehouse, and the Community Education Building. As participants, they will receive support through coaching, training, and networking with other communities across the country.

“We know that a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work for youth success and well-being,” Jackson said. “Success Planning might sound simple and practical, but it takes a deep understanding of a community and a coordinated multi-organization effort to design, implement, and scale Success Planning to drive transformational change.”

According to Jackson, Wilmington’s involvement will include opportunities for professional development and capacity building, with the goal of sustaining the work long-term.

“Past communities that have participated in the Institute for Success Planning Community of Practice have been able to not only launch, but sustain, Success Planning initiatives that have tackled stubborn disparities and moved the needle towards more positive outcomes for children, and families,” she said. “We hope that the Wilmington team will be able to similarly achieve its Success Planning goals over the next two years and long into the future.”

Wilmington joins cities like Flint, Rochester, and Tulsa as part of the initiative’s fourth cohort. The program will begin with a summer workshop this July at Harvard.