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.

In May, we shared how Catalyze designs our Learning Labs to move beyond traditional networking and create space for meaningful peer learning. There, we highlighted insights from our panel discussion featuring leaders from CareerWise and Propel America, who offered reflections on what it takes to scale impact thoughtfully and sustainably.

During our May Community of Practice gathering, Catalyze hosted a conversation on sensible scaling, exploring what it takes to grow impact while maintaining quality, strong partnerships, and long-term sustainability.

For the past five years, Catalyze has supported innovators across the country working to connect learning with opportunity. At SXSW EDU 2026, we were excited to bring that community together in Austin — sharing lessons, sparking new partnerships, and learning alongside educators, employers, and practitioners building the future of career-connected learning (CCL).

Catalyze’s recent webinar Insights and Learnings from the Catalyze Community of Practice brought together leaders from CUNY, New Bridge Cleveland and nXu for an engaging conversation about social capital and a holistic approach to career-connected learning.

Today, Catalyze announced Round Four of the Catalyze Challenge, which seeks programs with demonstrated success providing learners aged 11-22 with career-connected learning opportunities and pathways that bridge the gap between education and careers. This round of grants will fund organizations that are ready to scale and will focus on two primary themes — career exploration for young adolescents and activating industry partnerships.

Two Catalyze grantees are at the forefront of developing robust pipelines to support a steady flow of qualified and passionate educators and reshape the story about what it means to work in education.

A recent report explores the challenges and opportunities for career-connected learning practitioners to support students as they navigate the post-high school transition.

In case you missed this insightful live discussion, watch the webinar in full and get the top takeaways.