U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Https

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock () or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Now launched: $1 million challenge to reimagine career navigation for adult learners

The following text is written on a navy background with an image of a group of adult learners: A $1 million U.S. Department of Education challenge to reimagine career navigation for adult learners. Submit a prototype for a digital tool by December 15.

In recognition of the 2022 National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week, the U.S. Department of Education is proud to launch Stage 1 of the Future Finder Challenge, a $1 million challenge to reimagine career navigation for adult learners. The Department’s Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) invites innovators to build digital tools that better support adult learners as they launch and advance their careers.

“Developing digital career navigation tools for adult learners will expand equitable access to career opportunities — which will increase upward mobility and strengthen the broader American workforce. Through the Future Finder Challenge, we’re using open innovation to invest in the adult edtech ecosystem, driving greater collaboration between adult learners and developers, educators, and employers.” — Amy Loyd, Ed.L.D., Assistant Secretary for the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education

Help us share this opportunity with adult education providers

Adult education providers are encouraged to join entrant teams, and can discover collaboration opportunities by registering for the challenge community. We would appreciate you sharing this opportunity with all providers in your state. See below for sample newsletter, web, and social media content.

Submissions due by December 15

Eligible entrants — including teams of strategists, app developers, user-centered designers, and educators — are invited to submit prototypes for digital tools by 6:00 p.m. ET on December 15. Up to five finalists will receive at least $50,000 each and progress into the Stage 2 virtual accelerator.

The Stage 2 judging panel will review the submitted proposals and recommend one grand-prize winner to receive $500,000 and up to two runners-up to receive a share of at least $250,000. The Future Finder Challenge will support winners into 2024 as they deploy their solutions across the adult ed ecosystem.

When adult learners thrive, employers gain access to diverse, skilled talent pools — and their communities prosper. If you have any questions or would like to request additional sample communications, please reply to this email or contact hello@FutureFinderChallenge.com.