When learners of all abilities have access to career-connected learning programs tailored to their specific needs, there is immense potential for traditionally underserved student populations to develop agency and embark on the first steps in their career journeys. The success of this targeted approach is evident at the Spring Valley School in Birmingham, Alabama.

In part three of this series, we dive into the importance of K-12 partnerships, which are pivotal in creating access to transformative career-connected learning opportunities and emphasize the growing importance of  K-12 collaborations alongside employer engagement in driving the movement’s success.

Employer engagement and industry partnerships are critical to the success of career-connected learning and its impact on students. We will highlight the importance of partnerships and employer engagement in career-connected learning, what is working well and where opportunities exist for deeper collaborations.

In this series, Michelle Cheang, director of Catalyze, sat down with alumni and current participants of Catalyze-supported career-connected learning programs. Through in-depth conversations, Michelle and the learners discuss their experiences, growth and career goals.

In this series, Michelle Cheang, director of Catalyze, sat down with alumni and current participants of Catalyze-supported career-connected learning programs. Through in-depth conversations, Michelle and the learners discuss their experiences, growth and career goals.

Earlier this year, Catalyze conducted a comprehensive analysis of its Round One and Round Two grantee portfolio and 850 Round Three applications. Our goal was to surface trends and insights about what is working in career-connected learning and where additional opportunities exist to accelerate innovation and learning.

Today, Catalyze announced Round Four of the Catalyze Challenge, which seeks programs with demonstrated success providing learners aged 11-22 with career-connected learning opportunities and pathways that bridge the gap between education and careers. This round of grants will fund organizations that are ready to scale and will focus on two primary themes — career exploration for young adolescents and activating industry partnerships.

Understanding and addressing the complexities of career-connected learning is essential to creating accessible and innovative career pathways for learners.  As one of the nation's largest communities of practice focused on career-connected learning, Catalyze is at the forefront of transforming how learners aged 11-22 engage with education and career opportunities.

Catalyze grantees RevX and WeThrive are championing financial independence and economic mobility by preparing the next generation with financial education and empowering students to make well-informed decisions about their finances.

Catalyze Birmingham has launched its second round of grant funding, designed to support nonprofit organizations in the greater Birmingham area that bridge the gap between education and career.