Tennessee group pivots Building Strong Brains into an open Resilient Tennessee Collaborative

Richard opened the session by urging members not to look only to past practice and by framing a strategic shift: Building Strong Brains Tennessee will transition into a Resilient Tennessee Collaborative that is state‑supported and open to partners across sectors. He said the goal is to move from isolated programs toward coordinated, community‑led systems change, stressing the need for concrete steps, leadership and sustained coordination.

Leaders summarized the initiative’s past reach and how it will be sustained. Richard credited regional efforts — East, Middle and West Tennessee local coalitions and partners such as ACE Nashville and Discover Together Grundy — and noted national connections that helped scale the work. He told attendees the program has trained “over 1,400” trainers who have in turn reached “over 100,000 Tennesseans,” and acknowledged ongoing measurement and implementation questions about proving impact and translating awareness into action.

Melissa Umer, the Collective Impact presenter, and meeting facilitators framed the collaborative as a platform for affinity groups, practice sharing and backbone support rather than a top‑down program. Organizers said the Commission on Children and Youth and partner state departments will continue to provide coordination, leadership and logistics, and that the public–private working group will move into the Collaborative space to be accessible to any community or organization that wants to join.

Officials also previewed next steps: a short follow‑up survey to collect affinity‑group preferences, quarterly Collaborative meetings, and an FY24 competitive announcement of funds to support new innovations. Julie Rotella of the Department of Children’s Services described grant administration plans and timelines for continued funding rounds. The meeting closed with a commitment to maintain momentum and offer continuing technical assistance.

The Collaborative’s organizers said the effort will emphasize shared language and measurement, seek sustainable funding, and expand sector‑specific affinity groups — including faith and business outreach — to support local implementation and deepen engagement across Tennessee.