From Scrap to Spark: Sahel Teens Defy Limits with DIY Electric Car

In 2011, the Colorado Education Initiative (CEI), an education advocacy and research organization, launched the Colorado Legacy Schools project. The program funded innovative ways to increase the number and diversity of students taking AP classes. Instead of applying for funds to train teachers and subsidize test fees, Paonia High teamed up with two nearby schools to more than triple their collective AP offerings. It’s a promising model for rural, resource-limited schools trying to bring more college-prep opportunities to their few students.

Nonprofits Manufacturing Renaissance and Youth Crossroads provide vocational training that Chicago's public schools have largely abandoned, particularly in disinvested communities. Manufacturing Renaissance runs free seven-week metalworking cohorts that include stipends, tools, job placement support, and an alumni network, and has trained more than 1,200 young adults since 1982. Youth Crossroads offers multiple workforce tracks, including HVAC certification and paid internships, and 88% of trade program graduates report feeling prepared to enter the workforce.

Electric Boat's "The Boat for NEXT GEN" program partners with Westport High School, CCRI and New England Tech to provide juniors and seniors with hands-on exposure to various trades through twice-weekly after-school sessions. Students who complete the program can apply for paid training positions that lead directly to full-time employment with comprehensive benefits at Electric Boat's submarine manufacturing facilities.

Operation Fresh Start is tackling workforce barriers faced by economically disadvantaged young adults through its Legacy program, which combines classroom instruction with hands-on construction and conservation work. Participants receive individualized learning plans, financial stipends and wraparound support to help them stay on track. In 2024, the program helped 36 young adults earn high school diplomas, 32 earn pre-apprenticeship certifications and reported an average three grade-level increase in reading and math among participants.

A partnership between Essex Tech North Shore Agricultural & Technical High School, and Local 22 trade union members is teaching students union norms and trade skills early in their career, connecting them to apprenticeships and greater career opportunities. Other states, including Maryland and Louisiana, have similar programs and students report feeling a greater sense of job security and that they can command higher pay from employers due to the expertise gained from the program.

The Bay Area Urban Debate League serves students in low-income communities by providing debate opportunities they otherwise wouldn’t be able to access or afford. Teaching debate and participating in tournaments teach students valuable life skills like argumentation, critical thinking, research and logic. In 2023, the Bay Area Urban Debate League served 300 middle and high school students.

The Sebastian Indian Social Projects (SISP) works with socio-economically disadvantaged communities, providing social services like healthcare and employment assistance with a primary focus on educating youth. SISP has focused on educating the local female population, which has helped empower them economically and led to several women receiving jobs outside of their village. SISP has also educated several students who were forced to drop out of traditional school and provides supplementary activities along with their standard education, such as skating and coding clubs.

During the 2017-2018 school year, students in Arizona missed out on $65 million in free federal financial aid. The Be a Leader Foundation counsels first-generation and low-income students - during the inaugural year of the program, Be a Leader saw a 26 percent increase in students who filled out the FAFSA form.

A nonprofit organization, the Internationals Network for Public Schools, delivers a first-class education to the children of illegal immigrants, helping to break the cycle of poverty and provide them a path to advance in life.

An Irish-based company, ALISON, provides free, high-quality e-courses to people around the globe in order to help close the gap between education and workplace skills. Particularly focused on providing access to areas where more traditional forms of education and job training are difficult to get, this approach is helping to change lives and the economy for the better.