Jennifer Peck

Jennifer has led the Partnership for Children and Youth (PCY) since its founding in 2001. During her tenure she has developed and implemented initiatives to build high quality after-school and summer-learning programs, access to meals and health care for students, and integration of social and emotional learning in the education system across the state. PCY is known for its strategic work linking policy, practice and politics and has helped to identify gaps in the system for disadvantaged students, test solutions on the ground in communities, and scale through policy and thought leadership. In 2006, as California prepared to launch Proposition 49’s substantial new investment in after school programs, Jennifer led the advocacy for state legislation that dramatically reformed the Initiative and prioritized funding for schools in the lowest-income communities. In addition, Jennifer led the creation of the California Afterschool Advocacy Alliance, the California Summer Matters Campaign, the California Community Schools Network, and HousED – the nation’s first effort to improve the capacity of affordable housing organizations to provide quality learning supports to children. Jennifer co-chairs the state’s Social and Emotional Learning Task Force which is building resources, tools and technical assistance for educators at all levels of the system.   Prior to joining PCY, Jennifer spent eight years as an appointee of President Bill Clinton at the United States Department of Education, where she supported implementation of initiatives including student loan reform, School-to-Work, and 21st Century Community Learning Centers. Jennifer has a B.A. in Sociology and Women’s Studies from Colgate University.