The College and Career Ready Investment Priority area is requesting proposals from organizations providing services in the following two pathways. Applicants can apply to learning loss (academic support) and/or career pathway.

Learning Loss (Strengthening Academic Support: Direct Service Approach)
United Way of Greater Atlanta (United Way) and Georgia Division of Family and Children Services (Georgia DFCS) will collaborate to strengthen academic support by reducing learning loss (located on Learning Loss RFP). Learning Loss refers to any specific or general loss of knowledge and skills or to reversals in academic progress, most commonly due to extended gaps or discontinuities in a student’s education. (Learn more about Learning Loss.) Through the strategy of Academic Support, organizations will provide one or more of the following components: tutoring, mentoring, literacy programming, youth development programming or any activities that complement and reinforce the educational needs.  

• Open to community-based organizations across the state of Georgia who serve children and youth who are furthest from opportunity across the state of Georgia and provide program services and/or supports to reduce learning loss. 
• Program participants must meet the DCFS eligibility requirements: (1) serve youth and families within low-to-moderate income communities and the foster care system within the state of Georgia specifically U.S. citizens or legal immigrants, Georgia residents, families who are currently receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)/Food Stamps, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Medicaid or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), families who have a household income 300% or less of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) and youth who are 5 - 17 years old. 

Priority given to organizations that utilize the following: 

• Promote Two-generation Outcomes – meaning strategies that promote the well-being of children and their families through coordinated services and opportunities that work synergistically to improve the circumstances of the entire family 
• Ensure children and their families have the food, shelter, transportation, and technology that are fundamental to achieving educational outcomes, healthy lives and reaching economic stability  
• Serving regions in *2, 8, 9, 10, 11 (located on Learning Loss RFP)* 

Career Pathway: Direct Service Approach
Cultivate developmentally appropriate opportunities for youth to build the soft and hard skills, including registered apprenticeships, that will make them competitive in the current and future workforce. Increase quality mentoring relationships that have powerful positive effects on young people - personal growth and development, and social and economic opportunities.

Competitive applicants will provide active supports, services and/or programming for young people that foster academic outcomes, leadership development, employability skills and planning for future careers specifically opportunities to engage in workplace readiness training and paid work experiences that increase skills, knowledge, and readiness for the world of work, including apprenticeships and certifications that align to industry needs and high demand careers.  

Career Pathway: Systems Approach
Cultivate developmentally appropriate opportunities for youth to build the soft and hard skills, including registered apprenticeships, that will make them competitive in the current and future workforce. Increase quality mentoring relationships that have powerful positive effects on young people - personal growth and development, and social and economic opportunities.  

Competitive applicants will articulate clear strategies that increase access to equitable education and economic opportunities that support family wage employment for low-income youth and youth of color and support inclusive economic growth and better economic mobility for the Greater Atlanta region. Strategies may include improving access to  dual enrollment, Career Technical Agricultural Education (CTAE) and work-based learning opportunities; leveraging local & national partners’ efforts and best practices to influence racial equity practices across institutions that lead to systemic change. This approach could include 2 or more organizations collaborating to create system change.  

The Career Pathway is open to organizations that provide career pathways for youth aged 14-24 who also meet at least one or more of the following criteria:  

• are, or have previously been, involved in the child welfare or criminal justice system;  
• are parents; 
• are youth of color living in a low-income household; 
• are living in low or very low Child Well-Being communities (specifically zip codes: 30032, 30310, 30311, 30315, 30337 and 30297);  
• are Opportunity Youth (i.e., disconnected from school or the workforce) 
• Organizations must provide wrap-around services or collaborate with other organization(s) to address immediate and basic needs for young people e.g., food, housing/shelter, clothing, transportation, financial coaching, and childcare supports. 

Priority given to organizations that utilize the following: 

• Utilize trauma informed practices and services specifically the Five Guiding Principles: safety, choice, collaboration, trustworthiness, and empowerment. (Learn more at Child Trends). Organizations who are enhancing academic and social-emotional development that support the whole child e.g., self-confidence, ability to develop meaningful and lasting relationships and/or building resilience for young people to address adversities that they encounter at school, home and in the community.  
• Collaborating with school districts to align their career pathways with districts’ work-based learning and Career, Technology, Agricultural and Education (CTAE) programs​.