National Report Highlights the Power of CAST's Partnership Model

Some of the most influential ideas in education don't begin in state capitols or national think tanks. They begin in classrooms, workplaces, and communities where educators and industry leaders are solving real problems together. That's exactly what the Progressive Policy Institute found when it looked across the country for examples of high-quality work-based learning—educational experiences that connect students with authentic projects, professional mentors, and real workplace environments. To understand what those systems look like in practice, the researchers examined six innovative programs across the country, including CAST Schools, and drew on those examples to develop recommendations for policymakers, educators, employers, and philanthropists.

Their central finding is both simple and significant: high-quality work-based learning doesn't happen by chance. It succeeds when schools, employers, higher education institutions, and community partners intentionally build the systems that connect students to meaningful career experiences. Rather than pointing to a single program or strategy, the study highlights the importance of strong employer partnerships, dedicated partnership staff, supportive policies, sustainable funding, and transportation that helps students move between classrooms and workplaces. These are the enabling conditions the researchers observed repeatedly across the six programs they examined, including CAST Schools.

At CAST, those systems are built through intentional partnerships that connect learning with the world beyond the classroom. Students don't just explore careers. They collaborate with industry professionals on authentic projects, learn from mentors, participate in internships and practicum experiences, and follow pathways connected to high-wage, high demand industries. Rather than viewing these experiences as isolated opportunities, the researchers point to the partnerships and infrastructure that make them possible. Years of collaboration among school districts, employers, higher education institutions, and community organizations have helped make career-connected learning part of every CAST student's educational journey.

Every community is different, but the findings reinforce a lesson we've seen firsthand: preparing students for college, careers, and life takes more than great classrooms. It requires the entire community working together to create authentic opportunities that help students discover their interests, build professional skills, and envision their future. We're honored that our experience could help inform this national conversation and we're even more excited about what we can continue building together here in San Antonio.

Whether you're an employer interested in mentoring students, a community leader looking to strengthen career pathways, an educator exploring authentic learning, or a supporter who believes every student deserves meaningful opportunities beyond the classroom, we'd love to connect. Together, we can continue creating opportunities that prepare students not just for their first job, but for a lifetime of learning and leadership.