Catalyze Birmingham Challenge Awards $938,497 in Grants to Advance Career-Connected Learning
Round 3 celebrates local innovation and partnership, investing in programs that connect Birmingham youth to real-world career pathways.
Catalyze Birmingham Challenge today announced the recipients of its third round of grants, further fueling the region’s momentum around career-connected learning and workforce innovation. Supported by the Walton Family Foundation and a coalition of Birmingham’s leading philanthropic and corporate partners, the initiative continues to expand opportunities for young people to explore, prepare for, and thrive in meaningful careers.
This round marks a new chapter for the Catalyze Birmingham Challenge following the introduction of its track-based structure in Fall 2025, which allowed organizations to apply under two distinct pathways:
Track 1: Cross-Sector Partnerships, designed for local organizations forming new collaborations between employers, educators, and community partners; and
Track 2: High-Quality Expansions, designed for proven models seeking to scale within the Birmingham Region in partnership with local organizations.
Together, the selected grantees represent Birmingham’s growing ecosystem of innovation—connecting education, employers, and communities to help youth build the skills and confidence needed for lifelong success.
“Round 3 reflects how far our community has come in reimagining what career-connected learning can look like. Through the new track-based model, we’ve created space for both fresh partnerships and proven programs to thrive. Each grantee is helping to ensure that every young person in our region can see themselves in a vibrant, attainable career future.”
The third round of the Catalyze Birmingham Challenge awarded funding to four nonprofits selected from a competitive pool of applicants:
Breakthrough Birmingham — In partnership with QuantHub, Breakthrough Birmingham will offer high school students ages 14-18 an 11-month program with interactive skill modules, workshops led by local employers, and paid externships in a wide range of industries. Students will earn credentialing badges (accredited by Alabama Credential Registry and listed on Alabama Talent Triad), creating a portable record of employable skills.
BuildUp — The Birmingham Automotive Career Ecosystem Collaborative (BACEC) will unlock pathways to prosperity for youth ages 14–22 by tackling a familiar gap: too few routes from school to good jobs in automotive service and advanced/auto manufacturing. Programming will be delivered through campus-based labs and real worksites across the region.
CAPS Network — CAPS Network will expand their career-connected Pro-BL model to middle and high school students ages 11-18. Through client-connected projects with local employers, students will gain real-world experience, build durable skills, and explore career pathways. The model complements existing internship and apprenticeship programs by embedding industry work directly into schools and learning spaces.
Jobs for the Future — THRIVE brings together Jobs for the Future (JFF), Bessemer City Schools, and UAB Medicine to co-design and implement career-connected exploration, learning, and skills training to provide youth ages 14-18 with opportunities to engage with and navigate towards high-quality healthcare jobs. The program has a dual focus on career exploration and the scaling of CTE-based pathways.
Since launching in 2023, Catalyze Birmingham Challenge has invested more than $1.4 million in local initiatives that help young people explore careers, connect with employers, and engage in hands-on learning opportunities.
“We’re proud to support initiatives like the Catalyze Birmingham Challenge that connect young people to meaningful career pathways. This work is critical to building a stronger workforce and a more vibrant Birmingham.”
Catalyze Birmingham Challenge remains a collective partnership effort, with support from the national Catalyze Challenge and funding from the Walton Family Foundation, matched by Birmingham’s philanthropic and business community, including the Mike & Gillian Goodrich Foundation, Protective Life Corporation, Regions Foundation, The Caring Foundation of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama, Alabama Power Foundation, the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, the Altec/Styslinger Foundation, and Innovate Alabama. The City of Birmingham and EmpowerED Birmingham serve as key partners with Prosper to ensure the challenge best serves the community.
For more information on the Catalyze Birmingham Challenge, contact Carlisha Harris at catalyze@prosperbham.com.
Members of the Catalyze Birmingham Grantee Community at SXSW EDU 2026
About the Regions Foundation
The Alabama‑based Regions Foundation supports community investments that positively impact communities served by Regions Bank. The Foundation engages in a grantmaking program focused on priorities including economic and community development; education and workforce readiness; and financial wellness. The Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation funded primarily through contributions from Regions Bank. To learn more about the Regions Foundation, visit www.regions.com/foundation.
About Catalyze Birmingham
Birmingham is the first community selected to host a regional version of the Catalyze Challenge. Innovative organizations focused on solving a specific problem in career-connected learning, especially those focused on career exploration for adolescents and activating employer partnerships are selected to receive funding. Organizations that will serve learners who live, learn, or work in the Birmingham Region, defined as Jefferson, Shelby, Walker, Bibb, Blount, St. Clair, and Chilton Counties fit application eligibility. Selected organizations will receive up to $250K in funding and access to the #CatalyzeBirminghamChallenge network of funders, nonprofits, and corporations. https://www.catalyzechallenge.org/birmingham-challenge
