On October 28, 2025 the Everyone Graduates Center hosted the second virtual gathering of national educators to examine nonprofit, business, and community engagement.
The discussions were guided by three questions:
- Community Engagement: What obstacles have you encountered to engaging families and community members in support of young people’s career awareness and preparation? What are the best/ most effective ways to overcome these obstacles?
- Business/Employer Partnerships: What difficulties have you encountered in engaging businesses and other employers in supporting young people’s career readiness? What are the most important principles to follow as you engage these stakeholders?
- The Role of Nonprofits: What challenges must be overcome to bring different organizations and stakeholders together to coordinate support for young people? How can/should nonprofits help provide the commitment and leadership to overcome these challenges?
Presenters
- Rich Harrison, CEO of Lighthouse Community Public Schools, East Oakland, CA
- BJ Watts, Executive Director of OptIN, Evansville-Vanderburgh School Corp., IN
- Taylor Pratt, Senior Director of Career Supports at Achieve Atlanta, GA
Download the Event Presentation (PDF)
Download Lighthouse Community Public Schools Presentation (PDF)
Community
Engaging Families Around CTE https://careertech.org/what-we-do/case-making-communications/engage-families-learners/
Community Schools https://communityschools.futureforlearning.org/
Employer Engagement
https://careertech.org/resource-center/topics/employer-engagement/
Nonprofits
Nonprofits Supporting Edtech https://www.thomascmurray.com/blog/nonprofits
Student Advocacy https://blog.planbook.com/inspiring-nonprofits/
Funding & Finance
General https://careertech.org/resource-center/topics/funding-and-finance/
Braiding & Blending https://workforce.urban.org/node/57.html
