Starting the school year with a Golden Opportunity—the GSPP is saved!

The new school year is underway—and we are off to an auspicious beginning in California with news about the Golden State Pathways Program (GSPP). You might recall that in May, we were fighting to preserve this funding! Thanks to your leadership and action on behalf of young people and your communities, we successfully preserved a historic $500M investment in GSPP, an initiative modeled on the Linked Learning approach.

In late August, the California Department of Education released a Request for Applications (RFA) for GSPP Lead and Regional Technical Assistance Centers. Guided by the GSPP Framework, this RFA focuses on the important role Technical Assistance Centers will play in setting the stage for high-quality implementation and providing support to enhance the integration, relevance, and rigor of pathway experiences that will prepare all students for their future in postsecondary education and a high-skilled and high-wage career.

What is even more exciting is that this unprecedented opportunity and investment serves as a cornerstone of a more recent development—Governor Newsom’s 8/31 Executive Order, calling for greater alignment and integration of programs that prepare students and workers for high-paying and fulfilling careers.

It's been a long time coming, but as we look ahead to implementing Golden State Pathways, it is more important than ever to keep working together as a movement. We know how to do that—it means reflecting on what we have learned to leverage this moment and our shared strength and history of innovation to ensure high-quality college and career practices, policies, and systems for the benefit of all young people across the state. Let us mark this new school year as the moment we acted as a collective to expand excellence and equity in education at every level.

We know timing for the TAC applications is tight. RFA applications are due September 19, 2023, so we're off to the races. The Planning and Implementation RFA is slated to come out in January 2024, which will give us more time to plan together. As always, the Linked Learning Alliance is here to help—please reach out with questions!

Again, sincere thanks and congratulations. Together we will meet this moment!