EmployIndy to Participate in Accelerate ED Grant

Thursday, May 26, 2022 10:11 AM EDT Updated: Thursday, May 26, 2022 01:22 PM EDT
By Mary Roberts, Writer/Reporter
Stock image courtesy: Pexels.com

EmployIndy is participating in Accelerate ED: Seamless Pathways to Degrees and Careers, an initiative that aims to blend high school, higher education and career learning experiences. The organization says the program enables students to earn a career-aligned credential or degree by the end of one year after high school.

With a $175,000 grant provided by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, EmployIndy and its partners will seek to scale existing initiatives in Marion County to help ensure more students obtain an associate degree by the end of one additional year after high school graduation.

“EmployIndy is thrilled to help lead the design of postsecondary pathways in a student’s 13th year with expanded dual enrollment, early college credit, and career experiences in Marion County through the Accelerate ED grant,” said Marie Mackintosh, EmployIndy’s chief strategy officer. “This design sprint will create a blueprint for our community to advance proven delivery models that provide an established route for a student’s successful transition to a degree or the workforce.”

EmployIndy, along with 11 other Accelerate ED grantees, will focus on redesigning K-12 and higher education structures, and strengthening local schools, higher education, community-based organization, and employer partnerships.

Included in the Indianapolis design team are:

  • The Indy Chamber
  • Ascend Indiana
  • Governor’s Workforce Cabinet
  • IUPUI
  • Ivy Tech Community College – Indianapolis
  • Purdue Global
  • TeenWorks
  • The Office of Career and Technical Education
  • Metropolitan School District of Warren Township and Walker Career Center
  • Indianapolis Public Schools
  • Amazon Web Services
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