(CLOSED) Strada Education Network Innovative Solutions in Education-to-Employment

Sponsor Name: 
Strada Education Network
Amount: 
$5,000,000.00
Description of the Award: 

Strada Education Network is seeking collaborative grantees to propose initiatives that rethink and create new models of career advising, pilot or scale innovative approaches to blend learning experience with work, and support learners as they transition to and through education and into the workforce. The intent is to select five to seven organizations to receiving funding over a three-year period, from January 1, 2019 to December 30, 2021.

The proposal should include at least three of these four partners: Employers, Community-Based Organizations, Education Providers (postsecondary education, high schools, certification programs or designated training entities), and the Public Sector.

Strada is interested in strategic, innovative and scalable solutions which provide under-represented, low-income, first-generation, current or aspiring secondary, postsecondary student or adult learner populations with the knowledge, skills and experiences needed to compete in the workforce and launch fulfilling careers.

Strada Education Network is committed to investing philanthropic resources to increase and accelerate postsecondary enrollment and completion rates that lead to successfully launching rewarding careers. Our efforts will specifically address the persistent skills gap in which graduates lack the abilities and competencies that employers demand and value.

Strada envisions a collaborative and networked approach to connecting individuals to education and the workforce more effectively. Through this approach, postsecondary providers, community-based organizations, civic leaders, employers and families are viewed as valued partners in the effort to connect all students and adult learners to college and careers.

Strada is specifically interested in supporting collaborative, scalable efforts through solutions that:
• Rethink and create new models of career advising,
• Pilot or scale innovative approaches to blend work and learning experiences, and
• Support learners as they transition to and through education and into the workforce.

The objectives of this RFP are as follows:
1. To see improved consumer insights with postsecondary decisions that are aligned to potential careers;
2. To see improved access, persistence and completion rates among all students regardless of their age, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status or previous education background;
3. To result in successful student preparation for and transitions into careers, and
4. To identify strategic, innovative and scalable approaches to delivery of education-to-employment pathways.

Proposals should prioritize solutions serving under-represented, low-income, first-generation, current or aspiring secondary, postsecondary students, or adult learners to:
• Develop, enhance or increase access to career advising and career assessment tools,
• Develop, enhance or increase access to work-based learning and internship opportunities, and/or
• Develop, enhance or increase job and soft-skill (e.g. critical thinking, problem solving, effective communication, etc.) and competencies of individuals for such target populations.

Grant recipients will be required to provide 25% in matching support in the form of grants, gifts and/or in-kind service over the life of the grant. Up to 30% of proposed funding may be used to support personnel. The grant may be used for planning, implementation and evaluation purposes.

A webinar was held on June 27. It will be available for viewing at www.stradaeducation.org/philanthropy until July 23.

For More Information: See RFP, http://www.stradaeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/2018-RFP.pdf

FAQs: http://www.stradaeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/2018-RFP-FAQs.pdf

Limit (Number of applicants permitted per institution): 
1
Sponsor Final Deadline: 
Jul 23, 2018
OSVPR Application or NOI Instructions: 

Internal Nomination Process:

Interested applicants should send the following documents in sequence in one PDF file (File name: Last name_Strada2018.pdf)no later than 4:00 p.m. on the internal submission deadline:

Cover Page:

  • Principal Investigator’s (PI's) names and departmental affiliation
  • Co-PI's names and departmental affiliation(s)
  • A list of possible collaborative organizations (if applicable)
  • Proposal Title

1-page project summary that shows supporting collaborative, scalable efforts through solutions that:

  • Rethink and create new models of career advising,
  • Pilot or scale innovative approaches to blend work and learning experiences,
  • Support learners as they transition to and through education and into the workforce, and
  • Requested amount of funding.

Formatting Guidelines and Page Limit:

  • Font/size: Times New Roman (12 pt.)
  • Document margins: 1.0” (top, bottom, left and right)
  • Standard paper size (8 ½” x 11)

Questions concerning the limited submissions process may be submitted to limitedsubs@psu.edu.

To be considered as a Penn State institutional nominee, please submit a notice of intent by the date provided directly below.
Penn State OSVPR NOI Deadline: 
Monday, July 9, 2018 - 4:00pm
This limited submission is in downselect: 
Penn State may only submit a specific number of proposals to this funding opportunity. The number of NOIs received require that an internal competition take place, thus, a downselect process has commenced. No Penn State researchers may apply to this opportunity outside of this downselect process. To apply for this limited submission, please use this link:
OSVPR Downselect Deadline: 
Monday, July 9, 2018 - 4:00pm
Notes: 
Alger, Monty (Director of the Institute for Natural Gas & Civil Engineering) 7/13/18