Questions We’re Bringing to SXSW EDU
As the Catalyze team heads to SXSW EDU next week, we’re carrying a set of questions rooted in career-connected learning – particularly how we move from early curiosity to meaningful exposure to real opportunity.
Across our Catalyze community, we’re seeing incredible momentum since we launched five years ago. Grantees are designing experiences that build career readiness not as a checklist of skills, but as a foundation of agency, self-awareness, and self-efficacy. They are helping young people see themselves as capable contributors, not just future job seekers. At the same time, we believe this work is bigger than any one organization. It’s part of a broader movement building effort, shifting how we think about exploration, exposure, and access to opportunity.
From the moment we land in Austin, we’re seeking out new conversations and are eager to learn alongside others who are advancing this movement in different contexts and communities. Here’s what we’re thinking about:
How are educators and organizations redefining “career exploration” so it’s more than awareness?
Over the past five years we’ve seen incredible efforts from Catalyze grantees to shift understanding of “career exploration” beyond career days and job lists toward immersive, identity-affirming experiences. Grantees are pairing hands-on industry projects with reflection exercises that deepen self-awareness. They’re asking learners to consider not just What jobs exist? but Who am I? What am I curious about? Where do I thrive?
We’re curious how others are designing exploration experiences that intentionally build self-efficacy and connect to true economic mobility solutions, helping young people believe they belong in spaces they may not have previously imagined for themselves.
What new and revised learning models are working to truly connect classrooms, community partners, and employers?
We’re seeing cross-sector partnerships take shape in thoughtful ways: community-based organizations serving as bridges, employers co-designing projects, and schools embedding career readiness into academic pathways. But partnership is not just about access. It’s about shared ownership. We’re wondering: What models are proving reciprocal and sustainable? How are employers being engaged not just as hosts, but as co-builders in a broader effort to prepare young people for a changing world of work?
How are programs helping young people see agile pathways, not just destinations?
Many of our grantees are reframing career readiness as the ability to navigate evolving pathways. They are normalizing pivots, experimentation, and growth. They’re helping learners build the confidence to adapt, and the self-awareness to make informed decisions along the way.
We’re eager to hear how others are helping young people understand careers as dynamic journeys, where agency and adaptability matter as much as any single credential.
How are educators preparing learners for a non-linear, human-centered future of work?
Career readiness today requires more than technical skill. It requires communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and perhaps most importantly, the agency to navigate uncertainty.
We’re seeing educators embed reflection, storytelling, mentorship, and real-world problem-solving into programming to strengthen self-efficacy and adaptability.
As industries shift and new roles emerge, how are we collectively preparing learners not just to enter the workforce, but to shape it?
We look forward to connecting with partners who see career-connected learning not as a program, but as part of a broader movement to expand agency, opportunity, and economic mobility. And we hope you’ll join us at our meetup or learning workshop!
The future is career connected. Thank you for being committed to building a future where every learner has the confidence, exposure, and support to navigate their own path forward. See you in Austin!
