Linked Learning prepares students to graduate from high school ready for college, and with skills needed to thrive in the workplace.
This visual summary shows Linked Learning in motion.
View snapshot of 2016Connecting interests and career aspirations with education
Linked Learning is a successful approach to education based on the idea that students work harder and dream bigger if their education is relevant to them. It prepares students to graduate from high school ready for college, and with skills needed to thrive in the workplace. As evidence that this approach works for all students — including low-income and disadvantaged youth — grows, Linked Learning is attracting increased state funding and expanding to more districts. We support the work of partners who are strengthening and taking Linked Learning to its next level of impact for young people in California.
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Supporting statewide expansion of Linked Learning
We have supported on-the-ground demonstration and evaluation of Linked Learning in high school districts, in postsecondary institutions, and in nonprofit organizations serving out-of-school youth.
- Strengthening school districts: The California Linked Learning District Initiative supported school districts that committed to making the Linked Learning approach a core part of their high school reform strategy. Through this work we can better understand the successes and challenges of bringing Linked Learning to a broader range of California youth.
- Connecting through colleges: We are partnering with postsecondary institutions as they restructure teacher education and professional development to equip teachers to instruct in Linked Learning schools. Community colleges and the California State University system are exploring ways to put Linked Learning to work in their classrooms across California.
- Engaging out-of-school youth: The Opportunity Links for Youth Initiative applied Linked Learning principles to re-engage youth who are no longer in school, who are underemployed or unemployed, and who are actively seeking a way into college through community-based organizations.
The following school districts participated in the California Linked Learning District Initiative:
- Antioch Unified School District
- Local District 4 of the Los Angeles Unified School District
- Long Beach Unified School District
- Montebello Unified School District
- Oakland Unified School District
- Pasadena Unified School District
- Porterville Unified School District
- Sacramento City Unified School District
- West Contra Costa Unified School District
The Linked Learning Alliance website has a map and list of all the schools and districts that are implementing Linked Learning.
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Supporting policies that can fuel expansion of Linked Learning
Linked Learning is already working in a variety of venues across California: in high schools and districts, community colleges and other postsecondary institutions, and in community-based organizations serving out-of-school youth who are looking for a way to re-engage in education.
Irvine supports broad adoption of Linked Learning to transform the educational experience for young people in California. To accelerate and sustain the growth of Linked Learning, we support endorsement of new Linked Learning projects by California state education leaders and reforms in the policies that govern education.
Irvine’s Youth program policy grantmaking supports research to define the process and funding mechanisms needed to bring Linked Learning to scale in California. This includes:
- Evaluation of Linked Learning practices
- Dissemination of evaluation findings, making them readily available to key decision makers
- Creation of policy recommendations with the validation and support of partners, including members of the Linked Learning Alliance
The Linked Learning Alliance coordinates policy efforts to expand access for California’s young people to Linked Learning. The Alliance is playing an increasingly central role in building a collective voice and coordinating efforts to promote policies that will ensure the sustainability of Linked Learning. Visit the Alliance's policy page for more information about this work. The Linked Learning Alliance also has information about how school districts can apply for funding for Linked Learning through the California Career Pathways Trust.
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Inspiring and involving communities to support Linked Learning
To make Linked Learning available to far more low-income youth across California, it must be well-known as a powerful, practical way to transform education and provide better opportunities and outcomes for California’s youth.
Through partners including the Linked Learning Alliance, we advance public support for Linked Learning through advocacy, coalition building and strategic communications. These efforts accelerate as more students, families and educators experience Linked Learning firsthand, and as the results of their successes reach leaders in education, industry and civic life.
Irvine and our partners employ traditional and social media activities to communicate the features and advantages of Linked Learning. By promoting evaluation results and stories of success, and raising the voices of people who are passionate about this approach, we want Linked Learning to become a visible and prominent example of what is possible in California’s educational landscape.
We have supported the development of a communications toolkit with messages and other resources for communicating about Linked Learning. We welcome anyone who is communicating about Linked Learning to use these resources as guidance.
Guiding Vision
The Linked Learning vision is being championed by field leaders, including the Linked Learning Alliance, National Academy Foundation (NAF), ConnectEd, and many others. The vision is anchored in the aspiration that a majority of California’s students—and specifically underrepresented students—participate in Linked Learning.
To pursue this vision, a group of Linked Learning stakeholders developed a plan to guide the next five years. It provides a blueprint for organizations throughout the field to work together to:
- Build demand for Linked Learning among school districts, postsecondary institutions, and employers
- Improve the model and quality of Linked Learning in practice
- Support the field’s continued growth and success
By successfully executing these steps, the field will be in position by 2020 to make substantial progress toward its aspiration for Linked Learning.
The James Irvine Foundation
Our mission is to expand opportunity for the people of California to participate in a vibrant, successful and inclusive society.
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