Dr. Robert Blaine
Senior Executive and Director, Center for Leadership, Education, Advancement and Development
About the Program
The Center for Leadership, Education, Advancement and Development (LEAD) is the go-to place for city leaders seeking to improve outcomes for their residents. With expertise in early childhood success, education and expanded learning, promoting a culture of health and wellbeing, youth and young adult connections, LEAD reaches cities of all ages and brings together local leaders to develop strategies via technical assistance projects, peer learning networks, leadership academies, and more.
LEAD encompasses the Institute for Youth, Education, and Families (IYEF), the National League of Cities University (NLCU), and the Local Infrastructure Hub.
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IYEF 25th Anniversary
Over the course of its 25-year history, the Institute for Youth, Education & Families (IYEF) has transformed how municipal leaders envision their roles in improving outcomes for all children, youth, and families in their communities. For residents to thrive, we need empowered local leaders who place the well-being of children, youth, and their families at the center focus of governance.
Hear from IYEF staff both past and present as they reflect on a quarter century of strengthening America’s cities and families that call them home.
Recent Blogs
How Mobile Classrooms Help Cities Reach Children & Families Experiencing Homelessness
- Lara Burt
How Four Cities Are Building Early Learning Systems
- Amirh Moore
Explore New NLC University Courses
From the Event – City Summit Perspectives on a New Downtown
- Samantha Pedrosa
How Cities, Towns and Villages are Improving Recycling Practices
- Carolyn Berndt
Congressional Movement on Workforce Reauthorization Legislation
- Stephanie Martinez-Ruckman
How San Francisco is Boosting College Enrollment for All Youth
- Patrick Hain
How Hartford is Strengthening the Early Childhood Workforce
- Annika List
Highlights
Education and Workforce Success
A skilled and educated workforce is increasingly vital to a community’s economic vitality. Even when city officials do not play a direct role in governing their school systems, there are numerous ways in which they can exercise leadership to support public schools, expand alternatives for students who struggle in traditional educational settings, and increase postsecondary success.
Highlights
Youth & Young Adult Connections
NLC supports and informs city leaders and stakeholders interested in improving public safety and reforming the juvenile justice system. We also provide peer learning and support to the growing number of citywide programs reconnecting young people to school.
Highlights
Early Childhood Success
Research shows a critical period of child development is birth to age 8, not just physiologically, but also cognitively, emotionally, and socially, setting the basis for future health and wellbeing. Local leaders are well positioned to champion the needs of young children and families and help ensure that every child enters school ready to learn, and ultimately reaches their full potential.
Highlights
Health & Wellness
Local leaders play a pivotal role in the overall health and well-being of the cities, towns and villages they serve. With generous support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, NLC leads an effort to educate, train and build the capacity of city leaders to address the social determinants of health and improve health outcomes where individuals live, learn, work and play.
Highlights
Strong Southern Communities Initiative
The Strong Southern Communities Initiative (SSCI) provides practical support and guidance to municipal leaders in Mississippi, Arkansas, and Louisiana, bringing together local elected officials from across the region to improve outcomes for children and families. SSCI assists in the development of tailored local action plans and connects local leaders to national experts and regional partners who turn these plans into action.
