In order to prepare students for the 21st-century workforce, we are looking to create seamless systems of education that begin supporting students to be college and career ready from their first day of school. This requires alignment, coordination and communication between education and workforce sectors.

The EEPP is designed to help strengthen the connections between K-12, College, and Workforce sectors. Operationally the approach allows participants to benefit from improvement in the alignment of standards and assessments between K-12 and higher education, and the development of longitudinal data systems and processes to share information, coupling with career pathways and sector partnerships to connect education to jobs.

In partnership with The Greer Institute, the Tech & Innovation Center Initiative (TICI) aims to provide a platform for foundations, organizations, and programs to collaborate and partner with each other. The initiative's primary goal is to offer individuals who would typically lack access to computers an opportunity to use them, gain hands-on experience, and apply that experience effectively. TICI creates a safe environment that fosters a learning attitude, encourages discovery, and builds self-confidence among those who may otherwise be deprived of the means to embrace emerging technologies.

TICI strives to support partner organizations by providing the necessary resources to enhance their facilities. Moreover, it aims to inspire and influence other programs in the area to follow suit. By doing so, TICI seeks to create a network of empowered organizations working collectively to bridge the digital divide and ensure equal access to technology for all.

The National Youth Laboratory Initiative (NYL) is a virtual laboratory aimed at unleashing the power of innovation in high school and college students while advancing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) in the United States. NYL enables students to engage in state-of-the-art research and development projects and discover innovative ways to commercialize existing technologies from National Laboratories.

The initiative has specific goals, including:

1. Inspiring U.S. students to pursue STEM careers.
2. Creating mentor/protégé relationships between students and corporations/scientists.
3. Exposing national research and technologies to a wider commercial audience.

Currently, there are two initiatives in development: the Youth Research and Development Entrepreneur Initiative (YRDEI) and the Young Entrepreneur Technology Transfer Initiative (YETTI). These initiatives bring together high school/college students, U.S. corporations, and National Laboratories as an Advanced Student Entrepreneur Technology Team (ASET). The collaboration takes place in a virtual, inquiry-based learning environment. Students gain access to ongoing unclassified research and development projects, as well as existing technologies available for licensing within our National Laboratories, ready for transfer to U.S. corporations.

To participate, students can submit applications for research or technology projects. Upon selection, they are assigned a corporate and/or scientific mentor. Students have the option to apply individually, as a team, or join an existing ASETT with collaborators from different locations across the U.S. The program encourages students to develop a comprehensive understanding of their chosen technology during high school, refine it into commercial products during college, and eventually introduce it into the industry.

By incorporating business teams, the initiative aims to generate entrepreneurial energy and increase the success rate for students and projects. This approach benefits students by providing them with invaluable knowledge and experience, corporations by developing their future employees and leaders, and U.S. technology treasures by gaining national exposure in commercial sectors for generations to come.