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Connections

Checking in on Rochester's kids

Five people wearing headphones sit at a table in a radio talk studio: a woman front left has long brown braids and is wearing a turquoise t-shirt; a young woman front right has her dark hair pulled back and is wearing a navy hooded sweatshirt with white lettering, grey sweat pants and beige shoes; a woman back left has shoulder-length brown hair and is wearing a red shirt with an orange and white pattern around the neckline; a man back right has short dark hair and is wearing a grey blazer over a black shirt with bright yellow lettering; a man at center has very short dark hair and is wearing a grey button-down shirt, jeans and sneakers.
Gary Pudup
/
WXXI News
(foreground) Toyin Anderson-Smith and Ja’yonna Willis, (background) Erika Rosenberg and Brian Lewis with host Evan Dawson on "Connections with Evan Dawson" on Thursday, February 19, 2026
WXXI News

A local nonprofit says changes and challenges at the federal level are deeply affecting Rochester-area families.

ROC the Future Alliance is focused on improving educational and life outcomes for children from cradle to career. Each year, it examines the state of youth wellbeing.

We discuss what the organization has learned in the last year, and what local leaders and community members can do to help put more children on a path to success.

Our guests:

Evan Dawson is the host of "Connections with Evan Dawson." He joined WXXI in January 2014 after working at 13WHAM-TV, where he served as morning news anchor. He was hired as a reporter for 13WHAM-TV in 2003 before being promoted to anchor in 2007.
Megan Mack is the executive producer of "Connections with Evan Dawson" and live/televised engagement programming.
Julie Williams is an associate producer for "Connections with Evan Dawson." She started at WXXI in 2019 and has been working on Connections since 2022.