OneGoal is shifting the paradigm for how 16-, 17-, and 18-year-olds think about what’s possible beyond high school. OneGoal provides high school students – predominantly Black, Latinx, and/or first-generation – with high-quality, equity-focused advising for college and other postsecondary pathways at scale. Their program was created to address the systemic barriers that high schools often face to provide high-touch, culturally relevant advising and long-term support to students as they pursue their postsecondary education. Since their founding in Chicago in 2007, OneGoal has expanded to reach students facing barriers to postsecondary education nationwide, currently working in six regions throughout the U.S.
Many believe that career success is achieved by following a single path: graduating high school, enrolling in a 4-year college (often while amassing debt), and landing a good job. OneGoal in New York increasingly recognizes the limitations of this one-size-fits-all model. Despite the growing number and variety of career-oriented, non-degree pathways, options such as trade schools, apprenticeship programs, and tech boot camps are far less visible and well-vetted than colleges and universities. They will create novel digital tools and advising services rooted in robust research and informed by student input gathered over the next year to ensure the thousands of students they serve in New York City public high schools have every opportunity to pursue their career aspirations. They will set learners up for success by helping them navigate the vast landscape of non-degree programs and make informed decisions.
