Up to $250,000 Carolina Career‑Connected Learning Challenge

The Carolina Career-Connected Learning Challenge is a multi-million-dollar competition designed to surface, support, and scale breakthrough models that bridge the gap between high school, postsecondary education, and the modern workforce. We are seeking visionary partners to help us ensure that every student in North and South Carolina has a clear, supported pathway to a fulfilling, livable-wage career.

Focus on Grades 9–14 (high school through community college) and first‑generation, low‑income students.

Objectives:

• Put more high schoolers on pathways to livable‑wage jobs resilient to AI/automation.
• Improve outcomes for low‑income and first‑generation students.
• Strengthen transitions between high school, postsecondary, and workforce.
• Encourage employer co‑design of pathways.

Key program elements:

• Apprenticeships, internships, and “teamships”
• Industry‑recognized credentials earned in high school
• Flexible, career‑aligned curricula
• Competency‑based learning models
• Employer‑school integration and AI‑driven career coaching

• Applicant must be a 501(c)(3) organization (or have a fiscal sponsor)
• Must have minimum $500,000 in non‑governmental contributed revenue (per IRS Form 990)
• Project must serve students in North or South Carolina
• Must already have an established program (not funding ideas from scratch)
• Focus on low‑income and first‑generation student
• Running a project or organization
• Entrepreneur