This competitive grant is intended to enhance a regional system of support for high schools and high school students to engage in career immersion learning opportunities for career readiness. Programming should expose students to a variety of career opportunities based on labor market research and allow for targeted workforce and career skills development, career counseling, and elements of experiential and work-based learning.
Increase the number of students placed in work-based learning immersion experiences (e.g., internships, whether paid or for school credit, pre-apprenticeships, career capstones, etc.) and youth employment aligned to student interest and planning, including where schools have implemented MyCAP, documented and aligned in student MyCAP.
Increase the number of employers partnering with districts/schools to provide career development opportunities to all students. A deliberate focus should be on WBL opportunities in high wage, high demand and other fields identified as growth areas that will provide family sustaining wages in the Commonwealth.
Support the efforts of Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), the Executive Office of Education (EOE) and the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development (EOLWD) to improve equity and access to career development education opportunities for underserved student populations. (Including underserved racial/ethnic populations, low-income students, English learners and students with disabilities as well as students from cities and towns with high youth unemployment)
Support school and districts' efforts to increase MyCAP implementation for all students.
Provide at least one annual regional convening open to all schools in the region that provides school and district staff with updated regional workforce data, reflection on regional work-based learning opportunities, opportunity to learn of resources and best practices related to providing high quality career immersion activities.
Eligible applicants are the 16 MassHire Workforce Boards
State Line Item 7027-0019
A total of approximately $7,000,000 is projected to be available.
This RFP is the governing document for these grant funds.
Funding is contingent upon availability. All dollar amounts listed are estimated/approximate and are subject to change. If more funding becomes available, it will be distributed under the same guidelines that appear in this RFP document.
Funds may not be used for the purchase of equipment, furniture, computers/technology etc. without the previous approval of DESE staff to show specific need for the fulfillment of program objectives. Fund use may include:
Indirect Costs may be sought as long as the region has obtained an approved indirect cost rate through DESE procedures
Upon Approval – 6/30/2025
Office of College, Career, and Technical Education
Joseph Wyman
Round 1: Thursday June 20, 2024*Round 2: Friday September 13, 2024*
Proposals must be received at the Department by 5:00 p.m. Eastern on the date due.
*All responses must be received by the due date listed above. Failure to do so will result in disqualification. Responses not received on time will not be reviewed. Applicants applying after the due date may be notified their application was received late and will not be reviewed. Applications must be submitted as directed in the Submissions Instructions below. Failure to do so may result in disqualification. If you need assistance with submitting your application, please reach out to the contact person listed on this funding opportunity.
Competitive grant applications are considered submitted when the Superintendent / Chief Executive approves the grant application in GEM$. In order to be considered for competitive funding, applicants must submit a grant application through the LEA Superintendent Approved stage by the due date listed in the RFP.
The 0428 Connecting Activities Grant will be submitted in our new GEM$ system. GEM$ is a cloud-based fiscal and program management grant system that will eventually phase out the use of EdGrants.
Grants for Education Management System (GEM$)
Competitive grant applications are considered submitted when the Superintendent / Chief Executive approves the grant application in GEM$. In order to be considered for competitive funding, applicants must submit a grant application by the due date listed in the RFP.
The Superintendent / Chief Executive Approved Step allows for the organization lead to review and approve the grant application. Removing the requirement for the Part I Standard Contract Form, this step signifies Superintendent /Chief Executive sign off. Any grant budget changes requiring signature, will re-execute this step when amended signifying the organization lead is approving these changes.
New Organizations: Grant Submission requires applicants to have their organization established in GEM$. Entities that do not have an organization established in GEM$ must contact the DESE Program Unit issuing this grant at a minimum 5 business days prior to the grant due date for temporary organization access.
Failure to provide DESE with GEM$ Temp Organization Access Request at least 5 business days prior to the due date may result in not meeting the submission due date listed above. DESE cannot accept or review applications after the due date.
Please Note: Grant Submission at the LEA level requires roles to be established for Grant writer for the specific fund code, LEA fiscal for financial review/approval, and Superintendent/Chief Executive sign off. All these roles should be established prior to the grant due date and all appropriate forms should be either uploaded to GEM$, maintained at the LEA level or sent in to the DESE RFP contact as described on the individual forms. The user guidance documents and forms are found on the GEM$ homepage under DESE Resources. These forms can be accessed without logging in to the system.
Last Updated: June 5, 2024
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