Founded in 2012, Education Systems Center (EdSystems) is a mission-driven policy development and program implementation center within Northern Illinois University.
EdSystems fosters collaborative partnerships to design, implement, and evaluate policies and practices that ensure successful transitions to and through postsecondary and career opportunities for students, with a particular emphasis on historically marginalized populations.
EdSystems helps create a world where students have clear, unambiguous paths to college and career opportunities that equip them for meaningful participation in the global economy.
Our geographic focus is Illinois, while also working with national partners. As a connector, strategist, implementer, and intermediary, we bridge the gap between state-level policy and local practice. We serve as a connector by bringing together diverse stakeholders across sectors and levels of the education system. As a strategist, we help partners identify leverage points for change and develop actionable pathways forward. As an implementer, we work alongside organizations to translate vision into concrete results. As an intermediary, we facilitate dialogue and alignment between stakeholders, including state policymakers and local practitioners, to ensure both groups inform and strengthen each other’s work. Together with our strategic partners, we advance a shared vision for equitable educational and career success through our three pillars: policy, practices, and impact.
Recognizing the persistent challenges marginalized student populations face, our theory of change aims to catalyze systemic transformation and operationalize our commitment to equitable student outcomes.