Supporting on-the-ground demonstration and evaluation of the Linked Learning approach.

Linked Learning (formerly known as multiple pathways) evolved out of several movements in secondary education, some dating back as far as 40 years. Today, there are hundreds of career academies and California Partnership Academies, some of which have been working for decades to deliver integrated career and academic education. Many of these are already demonstrating the promising results that this approach can deliver.

But the field of Linked Learning is at an early stage. In order to bring the benefits of Linked Learning to a greater number of California youth, Irvine is pursuing a coordinated strategy to identify what makes Linked Learning successful and then disseminate those practices to school districts, postsecondary institutions, and nonprofits that serve out-of-school youth. The largest portion of our Youth grantmaking is dedicated to support demonstration and evaluation of the Linked Learning approach.

ConnectEd: The California Center for College and Career, an organization established by the Irvine Foundation in 2006, is a central part of the Foundation’s effort. ConnectEd has developed a network of schools and districts that serve as models of best practice, and is working with school districts to develop whole systems of Linked Learning. We also support other organizations and alliances to work in partnership with ConnectEd to expand and advance the Linked Learning approach.

Expanding Linked Learning

We are working to advance the practice of Linked Learning at three levels:

• School Districts — Based on the successful models developed by the ConnectEd Network of Schools, we support school districts that commit to making the Linked Learning approach a core part of their high school reform strategy. In doing so, we hope to better understand the successes and challenges of bringing Linked Learning to a broader range of California youth. Read more about the California Linked Learning District Initiative.
• Postsecondary Institutions — Through our Concurrent Courses Initiative, we support efforts to strengthen the connection between high schools and community colleges using a Linked Learning approach. By doing so, we hope to increase student success through high school graduation and into the postsecondary system. Our focus is primarily on the California Community College System, which is the entry point for more than 70 percent of college freshmen in the state. We are also working with four-year colleges as partners in developing Linked Learning pathways and approaches to postsecondary reform.
• Nonprofits that Serve Out-of-School Youth — We believe that the core components of Linked Learning can be equally effective with youth who are no longer engaged in formal education and are not employed. Read more about our Opportunity Links for Youth Initiative.

Building Infrastructure

A battery of new resources is needed to build the capacity of schools, districts and community colleges to successfully expand Linked Learning.

• Curriculum Development — We support efforts to develop rigorous, adaptable curricula in each of the 15 industry sectors that are the focus of the Linked Learning approach.
• Teacher Training — We support programs to train high school teachers in the teaching practices that are critical to the success of Linked Learning.
• Leadership Development — We support the development of educational leaders who can manage the organizational, personnel and policy changes needed to implement Linked Learning. This includes superintendents, senior district-level staff, school board members, postsecondary partners, business leaders, principals and teachers.

Grant Inquiries

While we accept unsolicited inquiries from grantseekers, we are able to fund very few of them. Please click here if you would like to learn more about submitting a letter of inquiry. Full proposals are accepted by invitation only.