Five Things We’re Excited to See at Horizons
At Catalyze, we believe some of the best ideas in career-connected learning emerge when educators, employers, practitioners, and funders come together to learn from one another.
As we head to Horizons, we're excited to reconnect with members of the Catalyze community and learn from partners and programs across the country that are also helping more young people access meaningful pathways to the future. Every conference offers a chance to step back, reflect on what’s working, and gather new ideas that can strengthen our collective efforts. Here are five things we’re especially excited to explore in D.C.
1. Practitioners leading the conversation
For us, moments like Horizons are about more than attending a conference. They're opportunities to listen, exchange ideas, and build relationships with people who are shaping the future of career-connected learning.
Some of the field’s most valuable insights come from the people doing this work every day. We’re especially interested in hearing from leaders closest to implementation: the educators, intermediaries, and community partners who are mobilizing employers, co-designing programs with young people, and championing career-connected learning beyond the classroom walls. Their experiences often reveal practical lessons that can’t be found in a playbook or website.
Speaking of …! Are you a practitioner looking to find like-minded individuals excited about the future of career-connected learning? RSVP to join our Catalyze Community Happy Hour after day one of Horizons on Monday, July 13th!
2. Regional solutions with local roots
Some of the most promising approaches to career-connected learning are deeply rooted in place. We’ve been energized by regionally based collaboratives, including our work in Birmingham, and continue to hear from grantees that successful strategies reflect the unique assets, industries, and needs of their communities.
We're looking forward to learning how regions are building pathways that make sense for their local economies and learners, and identifying ways Catalyze can continue to complement and support those efforts.
3. Employers embracing their role as talent developers
In our recent LinkedIn postcard campaign, we highlighted the many ways supporters hope to see stakeholders across the career-connected learning ecosystem deepen their engagement, from funders and employers to young people and policymakers. One message came through clearly– employers have a significant opportunity to both contribute to and benefit from these efforts.
At Horizons, we hope to hear of more businesses creating meaningful early career experiences and investing in the next generation of talent. From internships and apprenticeships to project-based learning and career exploration, young people benefit when they have opportunities to experience real work and better understand the possibilities ahead of them. We’re eager to keep learning how employers are designing experiences that are both impactful for learners and valuable for their organizations.
4. New ideas for scaling high-quality work-based learning
As demand for career-connected learning grows, we're always interested in practical strategies that make high-quality experiences more accessible and sustainable. At our recent Learning Lab, we explored the idea of sensible scaling and came away inspired by the experiences and perspectives shared by practitioners across our community. We also left with a deeper sense of curiosity and a new set of questions to ponder in DC.
Whether it's leveraging technology, creating new program models, strengthening operational capacity, or rethinking partnership structures, we're eager to learn how organizations are managing growth while maintaining quality. These insights help inform how we support grantees as they navigate opportunities and challenges related to scale.
5. Partnerships that strengthen the bridge between learning and work
Career-connected learning doesn't happen in silos. Some of the most exciting work in the field is driven by collaborations that bring together employers, education systems, philanthropy, and community organizations to create clearer pathways for young people. As we continue strengthening our role within this space, we're excited to also share our new public-facing Impact Dashboard, which offers a transparent look at our work, partnerships, and progress. As we engage at Horizons, we’re looking forward to learning from other powerful collaboratives as we continue refining how we measure, communicate, and sustain impact across the career-connected learning ecosystem.
