All students deserve to build their own meaningful career path supported by the resources, mentors, tools and experiences they need to make informed decisions about their next chapter. We partner with system leaders to design and scale high-quality policies and infrastructure that align advanced coursework, enable dual enrollment, strengthen advising, expand work-based learning and deliver stackable credentials and degrees more efficiently. Our team of former policymakers and practitioners provides policy design, strategic planning and implementation support across education and workforce systems.
The Commission on Purposeful Pathways is defining what it means for every student to experience an integrated, purpose-driven college and career pathway—one that connects advising, accelerated coursework, and career-connected learning. The final report from 2026 translates this vision into practical guidance for systems and funders.
We facilitated the Chicago Public Schools and City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) executive leadership to develop the five-year Chicago Roadmap to prepare more Chicago students for postsecondary study, support them to succeed at CCC or transfer to a four-year university, and ensure they graduate equipped with the knowledge, skills and experiences to thrive in Chicago’s labor market. In 2024, the University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC) joined the partnership and with our support CPS, CCC and UIC updated the plan and created Roadmap 2.0.
We supported the Gates Foundation to design and launch Horizons – four regional partnerships of K12, postsecondary and employer leaders focused on advising, FAFSA completion, dual enrollment and industry-recognized credentials – and Limitless Learning Network, a community of practice that mobilized partnerships across 25 regions in Washington state.
For Arnold Ventures, we identified promising opportunities for this new foundation to strengthen state-level career education and training systems nationwide, with a focus on non-degree credentials, cross-sector governance, and performance-based funding. With Arnold, we also identified a set of states positioned to lead the next generation of career education reforms.
The Center for Innovation in College Admission is developing innovative solutions to the most pressing problems in higher education admission, including equitable access to postsecondary education and the development of a robust admission workforce. We partnered with NACAC to develop the Center’s blueprint, helping define its strategic direction and build the foundation for the next generation of college admission.
NYCDOE was developing a strategy to strengthen its intermediary infrastructure for career-connected learning pathways. We conducted a landscape scan, identified practices from districts, and provided recommendations to build a coherent intermediary infrastructure supporting employer engagement and work-based learning opportunities for students citywide.
The Pathways Impact Fund works to increase the number of students who identify and seize opportunities that lead to good jobs and economic mobility by mobilizing funding and aligning education and workforce systems. We are supporting the fund’s launch through strategy, research, design, and implementation planning.
Education First is a trusted advisor to funders and education leaders advancing high-quality college and career pathways within and across K12, postsecondary and workforce systems. Our experts combine deep pathways expertise with a focus on coherence, helping leaders collaborate, define priorities, align incentives and policies to turn ambition into results for students.
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