American Student Assistance Awards More Than $8 Million in Grants to Youth-Serving Nonprofits Committed to Improving Career Readiness Outcomes for All Young People

BOSTON, Oct. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- American Student Assistance^® (ASA), a national nonprofit changing the way kids learn about careers and prepare for their futures, today announced that the organization has awarded $8.48 million to 13 mission-aligned, youth-serving nonprofits serving more than seven states. The grants, awarded to a combination of existing and new partners, will significantly scale access to opportunities to improve career readiness outcomes for all middle and high schoolers and provide exploration into key industries such as aerospace, biotech, healthcare, and responsible use of AI.

"Far too many young people foreclose opportunities for themselves because they have not been exposed to the possibilities. With the help of our growing community of mission-aligned, youth-centered nonprofits, we are expanding access to meaningful career exploration, experimentation, and navigation experiences that will position young people for career success and economic prosperity," said Julie Lammers, President and CEO, ASA.

The grantees include:

America Succeeds  has been awarded a three-year $1.5 million grant. The organization will advance their Pathsmith^™ Durable Skills Framework, a "gold standard" model that ensures learners acquire and demonstrate the skills needed for economic mobility. The grant will enable America Succeeds to be responsive to unprecedented interest from providers for technical support in implementing durable skills in programming. "Employers increasingly cite durable skills as essential for success in an AI-driven workforce—and the gap between what's needed and what's taught continues to widen. We're grateful to ASA for their partnership and support in transforming the talent pipeline to help learners develop and demonstrate these skills, setting a national standard for the competencies that power opportunity, mobility, and success in the future of work," said Tim Taylor, Co-Founder and President of America Succeeds.

Big Picture Learning  has been awarded a $1.5 million grant over three years. The organization will deepen its work by expanding programs, such as ImBlaze and B-Unbound in key regions, especially for Native and underserved communities; growing partnerships in states aligned with ASA's emerging geographic social impact strategy; and driving systems-level change through innovation, policy engagement, and national thought leadership. "We're deeply grateful for ASA's continued partnership and belief in our mission. This collaboration is more than a grant—it's a shared investment in young people's potential and a reaffirmation that when we center their voices and experiences, the future of learning becomes brighter for everyone," said Andrew Frishman, Co-Executive Director, Big Picture Learning.

America Succeeds and Big Picture Learning are long-standing ASA partners who have done significant work to increase access to real-world learning and durable skill-building experiences that position young people for long-term career success and economic mobility.

EdVestors  has been awarded a three-year $1.5 million grant. The organization aims to improve advising for students in the middle grades. EdVestors will work with Boston Public Schools to connect MyCAP student learning with the district's secondary school options, supporting informed high school selections. "We know how important it is for our young people to gain early access to career-connected learning. This ASA investment will enable EdVestors and Boston Public Schools to expand MyCAP implementation to the middle grades, build stronger advising tools, and support educators in guiding students toward a future full of possibilities," said Marinell Rousmaniere, CEO, EdVestors.

Jobs for America's Graduates (JAG)  has been awarded a $1.5 million grant over three years. The organization will continue its efforts on broadening impact and systems change with a focus on three key areas: innovating JAG's long-standing, evidence-based model for scale to meet increasing demand, evaluating JAG's impact on the youth workforce pipeline, and expanding awareness and knowledge sharing across the sector through the JAG Edge conference, premiering July 2026 in Long Beach, CA.

"With an ever-changing landscape in workforce development, there are some priorities that remain consistent for both employers and employees: the need to instill essential employability skills that lead to good jobs and personal growth. JAG's 45-year mission to empower young people for careers of purpose has never been more important. ASA's investment and partnership enable us to innovate our delivery models and broaden our reach through collaboration with leaders as passionate about this work as we are. We look forward to working with the team at ASA to achieve our vision to impact one million young people annually by 2035, ensuring they are successful in career and life," says Janelle Duray, JAG's President & CEO.

Black Women in Aviation  has been awarded a three-year $300,000 grant. The organization's Aero Xperience: Aviation in Action, a first-of-its-kind ecosystem, will ignite early interest in aerospace careers for underrepresented youth through immersive technologies (e.g., drones, gaming, and VR), thereby equipping students with real-world skills and industry application, mentorship, and access to industry pathways that can transform futures. "We are incredibly grateful to ASA for this $300,000 grant, which provides a pivotal opportunity to expand and scale our career-connected learning aviation programming. This funding will allow us to create dynamic, memorable, continued learning experiences for youth across North Carolina and Delaware, building the next generation of aviation professionals across our high-demand aviation ecosystem," said Samantha Mitchell, Founder and CEO, Black Women in Aviation.

Campus Without Walls  has been awarded a two-year $300,000 grant. The organization connects students across districts virtually to career-connected courses and pathways taught by top educators and industry partners for course credit, so that ZIP codes and school assignments no longer limit a student's access and opportunities. "We are so grateful for this support from ASA, a national leader in advancing career readiness, and proud to join their community of grantees driving equity and innovation in education," said Ayele Shakur, President and Co-Founder, Campus Without Walls.

National Urban League  has been awarded a $300,000 grant over three years. The organization aims to integrate more career-connected learning into its Project Ready Postsecondary Success Program. National Urban League will identify one demonstration site to pilot a "Navigation" approach to deliver career exploration and foster more collaboration and coordination in a local community. "Project Ready committed to preparing young people for college, work, and life nearly 30 years ago," said Marc H. Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League. "Since making that promise, tens of thousands have gone on to the colleges of their dreams, been exposed to career paths they'd never dreamed of, and the communities we serve continue to be reminded of what's possible when we invest in our youth. This grant will empower our affiliates to continue the legacy of this work while evolving to meet the needs of the careers of the future and ensuring that our children aren't just ready but prepared to thrive."

One Bead  has been awarded a three-year $300,000 grant. The organization provides a scalable, school-based program that helps middle school students explore career paths, set goals, and navigate Boston's education system with confidence. The funding will support in-school programs ensuring students spend at least 10 hours annually on career planning. With support from local professionals, One Bead helps schools build capacity for career-connected learning. "One Bead is honored to be selected by ASA's youth reviewers as part of the Youth-Led Grantmaking Pilot–a decision that underscores the importance of early exposure to career and academic planning. Together, we can ensure every middle grade student in Boston is equipped with the clarity and confidence they need to plan for what comes next," said Sara Kittle, CEO and Founder, One Bead.

Codman Square Health Center  has been awarded a $300,000 grant over three years. The organization engages students starting in middle school through their postsecondary years with consistent support and exposure to healthcare careers, thus building confidence, skills, and direction needed for long-term success in the healthcare field. "This ASA grant is an investment in the future of our Codman community. By inspiring and supporting our community youth to pursue healthcare careers, we are opening doors of opportunity while building a workforce that truly reflects and serves our neighborhood. At Codman Square Health Center, we believe our young people are the next generation of healthcare professionals and leaders," said Dr. Guy Fish, CEO, Codman Square Health Center.

BioBuilder Educational Foundation  has been awarded a $300,000 grant over three years. The organization brings tomorrow's science into today's classrooms, giving students a leg up and a way into college and careers in bioengineering. The funding will expand BioBuilder Club, an after-school, in person program that helps high school students discover how science and engineering can solve real-world problems. "We've seen how eager students are for opportunities to connect what they learn in school with the careers they imagine for themselves," said Dr. Natalie Kuldell, Executive Director of BioBuilder. "With ASA's support, we can help more students connect classroom learning to biotechnology careers, and the impact they can have on the world."

One Bead, Codman Square Health Center, and BioBuilder's awarded grants were part of ASA's recently announced Youth-Led Grantmaking Pilot Program, which engaged high school juniors and seniors in all aspects of the philanthropic process, providing real-world experience in grantmaking and social impact while cultivating critical, in-demand durable skills such as communication, decision-making, and analytical thinking. Hear from participating students and grantees.

Achieving the Dream  has been awarded a two-year $250,000 grant. The organization aims to conduct a national study on the role of community colleges in providing career and college advising within high school spaces in order to identify effective models and key challenges. "Community colleges play a vital role in helping students navigate pathways from high school to college and careers," said Karen A. Stout, President and CEO of Achieving the Dream. "Through this investment from ASA, we can deepen our understanding of how colleges are partnering with high schools to deliver effective advising that expands opportunity, strengthens inclusivity, and builds a stronger bridge to economic mobility."

Urban Institute  has been awarded a one-year $250,000 grant. The organization aims to research how different types of youth apprenticeship compare in creating career-connected learning opportunities, and the barriers for youth apprentices to program completion. "We are grateful that ASA has recognized Urban's leadership in building evidence to support high-quality youth apprenticeship programs and for their shared interest in elevating the voices of youth to inform those efforts. We are excited to launch our research to help policymakers and practitioners understand the apprenticeship designs that will most effectively connect young people to rewarding careers," said Deborah Kobes, Senior Fellow, Urban Institute.

Data Science 4 Everyone  has been awarded a $180,000 grant over two years. The organization will co-lead a "Digital Democracy Skills and AI Ethics in Social Studies" national planning process to embed durable skill development into state standards in partnership with the National Council for Social Studies (NCSS) and subsidiary leadership associations. "To grapple with the moving target of AI, we need to lean into durable skills that will outlast any one tech tool and prepare our young people to navigate an increasingly complex digital world with confidence. The support from American Student Assistance will allow us to explore these critical issues with national education organizations that can then scale," said Zarek Drozda, Executive Director, Data Science 4 Everyone.

About American Student Assistance
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^® 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.

SOURCE American Student Assistance (ASA)