Brenda McLaughlin

Background

About Brenda McLaughlin

Brenda is the founding partner at The Learning Agenda, a consulting firm dedicated to building the capacity of organizations and leaders to better serve youth and communities. Brenda’s passion is strengthening the systems and programs that serve young people and their families. She has worked at the intersection of education and youth development research, policy and practice for 20 years, translating key learnings to positively influence the well-being of youth. Her insights and expertise have led state agencies, school districts, nonprofits, philanthropies and communities to expand their capacity and better serve young people. As The Learning Agenda’s Founding Partner, Brenda offers strategic guidance and coaching, plans and facilitates learning communities and groups, advances place-based collaborations and system-building, engages in research projects, and develops tools and resources to build the capacity of the field. She is currently leading a collective impact effort for the American Academy of Pediatrics focused on young adult health and well-being, capacity-building efforts for 21st CCLC programs across the State of Arizona, and school redesign in Texas. She previously led capacity-building efforts for the National Comprehensive Center at Westat and districts engaged in The Wallace Foundation’s National Summer Learning Project. Brenda founded The Learning Agenda in 2011, and rejoined the team in 2022 after serving as Chief Impact Officer at BellXcel and launching The Sperling Center for Research and Innovation. She also served as vice president at the National Summer Learning Association from 2004 - 2011, leading research, evaluation, and strategic initiatives. Brenda holds a MA in Public Policy from the Johns Hopkins University, and a BA in Spanish and Latin American Studies from the University of Pittsburgh.