CAPS Network secures $2.2m federal grant to expand career learning across rural Midwest

The four-year U.S. Department of Education award will support 10 rural communities across four states, with $1 million going directly to local school districts

CAPS Network has secured $2.2 million in federal funding to expand profession-based learning across 10 rural Midwestern communities

CAPS Network has secured a $2.2 million U.S. Department of Education grant to expand profession-based learning, postsecondary pathways and workforce development across rural communities in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska.

The funding, awarded through the Rural Postsecondary and Economic Development program, will support a four-year initiative called the Heartland Rural Talent Accelerator.

Of the total award, $1 million will go directly to 10 participating rural school districts to fund local delivery.

The program will work with existing CAPS communities in Jesup and MOC-Floyd Valley, Iowa; McPherson, Pittsburg and South Brown County, Kansas; Branson, Maryville, Plattsburg and Sedalia, Missouri; and Fairfield, Nebraska.

Rather than establishing separate programs, CAPS plans to build on career-connected and profession-based learning already operating within the communities.

Corey Mohn, President and Executive Director of CAPS Network, says the investment will create more opportunities for young people to connect learning with careers close to home.

“Rural communities are full of talented young people, innovative educators, committed employers and leaders who care deeply about their future,” he says. “This investment gives us the opportunity to build on those strengths.”

$1m goes directly to rural communities

The Heartland Rural Talent Accelerator will expand work-based learning, employer-sponsored projects, mentorships, internships and postsecondary planning.

Participating communities will also develop credential and apprenticeship pathways and provide professional learning for educators and community partners.

The $1 million allocated directly to local communities can support priorities including employer engagement, career-connected learning, postsecondary exploration and educator development.

CAPS also plans to strengthen links between schools, employers, colleges and universities, workforce organizations and economic development partners.

The project is backed by a group of Higher Education partners including Iowa State University, the University of Northern Iowa, Missouri Southern State University, the University of Kansas and Kansas State University.

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly also supported the proposal.

Building on existing rural partnerships

The federal funding follows CAPS Network's existing work in rural communities, including a multi-year partnership with the Patterson Family Foundation focused on expanding profession-based learning across rural Kansas.

Mohn describes that earlier work as an opportunity to “listen, learn and build alongside rural educators and community leaders,” adding that the new federal award allows CAPS to take those lessons into a wider four-state program.

The organization is also supported by funders including Britebound.

For CAPS, the emphasis is on building stronger routes between education and employment while keeping young talent connected with rural communities.

“This is about more than a grant and a four-year project,” Mohn says. “It is about what becomes possible when a community truly goes where students lead.”

CAPS Network is a nonprofit organization focused on profession-based learning and education-to-employment pathways, connecting affiliated programs with employers, postsecondary institutions, educators and students.