The K-12 System and Economic Mobility

Recorded live at the 2025 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Kwame Owusu-Kesse, Chief Executive Officer at Harlem Children's Zone, and Christian Rhodes, Deputy Executive Director at Harlem Children's Zone.

The session examined why the K–12 education system, on its own, often falls short in delivering economic mobility—particularly for students from communities affected by poverty. Kwame Owusu-Kesse and Christian Rhodes explored the systemic barriers that limit opportunity and discussed bold innovations like the Harlem Children’s Zone Wealth Builds initiative. They emphasized the need for integrated approaches that go beyond academics to ensure every student graduates not only with a degree, but with a tangible path toward upward social and economic mobility.