Catalyze Announces $4 Million in Grants to Connect Young People to Career Exploration
The fifth round of the Catalyze Challenge provides $4 million to fund 14 innovative career-connected learning projects underway across the country.
Today Catalyze announced the 14 Grantees selected for its fifth round of the Catalyze Challenge, marking the next stage of a nationwide effort to expand access to high-quality career-connected learning for young people.
Through Round 5, Catalyze is investing nearly $4 million to help organizations put their bold ideas for career-connected learning into action. Grantees were selected through a competitive process that began with more than 500 applications from across the country, and included a multi-phase review process shaped by educators, employers, funders, past grantees, and field leaders. Part of the process included an “incubation phase” that awarded 31 organizations a $10,000 grant along with three months of technical assistance from national experts to refine and strengthen the idea.
The 14 Grantees selected for full implementation funding of up to $300,000 represent innovative approaches across two focus areas: career exploration for young adolescents and meaningful work-based learning through employer partnerships. Grantees will continue to receive technical assistance over the school year to implement, test, and strengthen their models while generating lessons that can inform the broader career-connected learning field.
“We’re excited to support this cohort as they grow impactful employer partnerships and build strong organizational infrastructure to turn the spark of innovation into transformational change for young people. We look forward to seeing these ideas come to life through meaningful career-connected learning experiences that reflect where the world of work is headed.”
Catalyze Challenge Round 5 Grantees
The Round 5 portfolio reflects a diverse range of approaches to career-connected learning, from integrating career exploration into core academics and developing technology-enabled experiences to creating employer-designed learning opportunities and strengthening regional career pathways. Across the portfolio, Grantees are designing learner-centered approaches with the potential to be sustained, replicated, and adapted in other communities.
All Round 5 Grantees are invited to join the Catalyze Community of Practice, a learning community made up of more than 100 organizations.
