[2] It describes itself as the nation’s leading organization dedicated to rethinking high school, because "our young people are growing up at a time when the economy, the workforce, and the environment are changing rapidly.

[3] XQ Institute's Board includes Marc Ecko, Yo-Yo Ma, Geoffrey Canada, Jimmy Iovine, and Michael Klein.

XQ Institute was founded in September 2015 by Laurene Powell Jobs and Russlynn Ali, former assistant secretary of civil rights at the U.S. Department of Education.

The show featured Ringo Starr, Tom Hanks, Common, Samuel L. Jackson, Justin Timberlake, and Jennifer Hudson.

[13] The organization hosted other challenges over the years including a national contest along with civic engagement group For Freedoms for students to design visual art illustrating their vision for high school for the next generation.

Crosstown is also diverse by design, to heal a city scarred by racial segregation, and takes students from all over Memphis.