AMERICAN STUDENT ASSISTANCE ANNOUNCES RECIPIENTS OF THE ASA CAREER EDUCATION CHAMPION AWARDS AT THE BUILDING HOPE IMPACT AWARDS

Nonprofit To Support Two Charter School Career Readiness Programs

WASHINGTON, April 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Building Hope, the non-profit leader in charter school facilities, financing, and services, and American Student Assistance^® (ASA) a national nonprofit changing the way kids learn about careers and prepare for their futures, are proud to announce two ASA Career Education Champion Awards will be presented to Latitude High School from Oakland, California and Liberty STEM Charter School from Sumter, SC at the 2025 Building Hope IMPACT Awards.

ASA established the award in partnership with Building Hope to highlight schools that encourage students to explore what they love, what they are good at, what the world needs, and what they can get paid for. The intersection of those elements put students on a secure path to a happy and successful future.

"ASA is proud to provide access to career readiness education and experiential programming that shape the school-to-career journey for each child in America," said Julie Lammers, Executive Vice President, American Student Assistance. "We honor Latitude High School and Liberty STEAM Charter School as two schools who excel at empowering students to explore their interests, develop career-ready skills, and connect learning to real-world opportunities."

Latitude High School in Oakland, CA places real-world learning is at the center of its mission. Through immersive career exploration including 100+ job shadow sites, dual enrollment, and internships students connect classroom knowledge to meaningful futures. From tech to food science, Latitude's place-based model empowers students to build career confidence while exploring the Bay Area's vibrant industries.  

Liberty STEAM Charter School leads the way in early career exploration in Sumter, South Carolina. With a STEAM-based curriculum and project-based learning model, the school introduces students to real-world career paths starting in kindergarten. By middle school, students begin to specialize, supported by strong partnerships with local industries. Liberty STEAM is proving that career education can start early and be transformative.

"Building Hope is honored to partner with American Student Assistance to recognize these schools that go above and beyond in preparing students to achieve the future they envision," said Building Hope President and CEO William D. Hansen. "We congratulate Latitude High School and Liberty STEAM Charter School on this well-deserved recognition."

The award recipients were chosen from hundreds of applicants to the Building Hope IMPACT Awards program, which honors public charter schools that have achieved exceptional impact on community engagement, educational innovation, and student empowerment. Both ASA Career Education Champion schools will be recognized by Ms. Lammers at the Building Hope IMPACT Awards gala on May 7, 2025, in Miami.

The Building Hope IMPACT Summit and Awards brings together educators, innovators, and advocates from across the nation to celebrate and support excellence in K-12 education. Since 2022, Building Hope has awarded $440,000 to 33 charter schools and $40,000 to eight school volunteer leaders.

For more information about the IMPACT Awards or to register for the 2025 IMPACT Summit, please visit www.buildinghope.org/impact/awards.

About Building Hope
Building Hope is a national nonprofit that empowers advancements in education through our work with charter schools providing unparalleled facility financing, real estate development, and operational services. We believe a facility should never be the barrier preventing a child from attending a great school. During our 21-year history, Building Hope has supported over $1 billion in the development of school facilities. For more information, visit www.buildinghope.org. 

Media Contact
ShinePR for Building Hope
[email protected]

About American Student Assistance^® (ASA) 
American Student Assistance^® (ASA) is a national nonprofit at the forefront of changing the way kids learn about careers and prepare for their futures through access to career readiness information and experiences for all. ASA helps middle and high school students to know themselves—their strengths and their interests— and understand their education and career options so that they can make informed decisions. ASA fulfills its mission–in schools and beyond the classroom–by providing free digital experiences, including Futurescape^®, Next Voice™, and EvolveMe^®, directly to millions of students, and through advocacy, impact investing, research, thought leadership, and philanthropic support for educators, intermediaries, and others. ASA fosters a generation of confident, crisis-proof young people who are ready for whatever path comes next after high school. To learn more about ASA, visit www.asa.org/about-asa.

Media Contact
Sandy Dawkins-Reilly, ASA
[email protected]

SOURCE Building Hope