The latest CTE Momentum challenge invites high schools to propose solutions that improve career exploration at their schools.
As artificial intelligence and other technologies reshape the workforce, students are making important decisions about their futures in a rapidly changing job market. Students need career guidance that reflects evolving workforce needs while helping them explore options in their own communities.
This month, the U.S. Department of Education launched the Careers in Your Community Challenge, the fourth challenge in its CTE Momentum series to prepare high school students for rewarding careers and increase access to career and technical education (CTE). The challenge invites high schools to propose solutions that improve career exploration at their schools. Submissions are due by November 19, and up to 10 winning teams will receive an equal share of the $50,000 prize pool.
“Students bring firsthand insight into how they explore careers, what information resonates with them, and where gaps exist,” said Daphnne Bonaparte, chief of the College and Career Transitions Branch in the U.S. Department of Education’s Division of Academic and Technical Education. “The Careers in Your Community Challenge empowers students to improve career exploration for their peers while strengthening their school’s connections to local career, education, and training opportunities.”
For many young people, local employers and education opportunities are the first pathways they explore, making community connections a critical part of how they envision and prepare for their futures. The Careers in Your Community Challenge, designed and administered by Luminary Labs, puts students at the center of improving career exploration. By drawing on their own experiences, student teams will design new approaches that help their peers discover the career and education opportunities around them.
Share the Careers in Your Community Challenge with a CTE teacher: Invite them to explore challenge resources and sign up for the CTE Momentum newsletter.