Step Forward, an education partnership spearheaded by The Community Foundation, has hired Africa Price as the new executive director. Step Forward is a catalyst for working together across sectors to prepare the children of Bossier, Caddo and DeSoto parishes for academic achievement, productive citizenship and global competitiveness, from cradle to career.

“I’m excited about the opportunity to help shape and accelerate the connectivity this region needs to prepare our children to compete globally,” Price, who is a former executive editor and education reporter of The Times, said. “Step Forward is the right vehicle to bring vested partners from all sectors to the table.”

Price plans to implement a newsletter and blog on the Step Forward website to engage the general public in the initiative. She will also lead efforts to gather, analyze and report relevant data. She will also work to connect pockets of excellence in our community to create better opportunities for the children of this region.

“Africa’s ability to inspire collaboration and encourage effective communication, coupled with her knowledge and deep love for this community makes her the perfect choice to lead Step Forward. We are pleased to have her on board,” Paula Hickman executive director of The Community Foundation, said.

Step Forward kicked off with a Design Institute in May where it defined community needs and identified area leaders willing to create a civic infrastructure that aligns and supports existing efforts to drive excellence in education. For more information, visit www. stepforwardnla.org.

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