National Nonprofits American Student Assistance and Building Hope Collaborate to Create the Future Ready Schools Prize and Fellowship Program and Honor Schools Helping Today’s Students Connect to Tomorrow’s Careers
BOSTON and WASHINGTON, Oct. 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — American Student Assistance® (ASA), a national nonprofit changing the way kids learn about careers, today announced a $3 million grant to Building Hope, a national nonprofit that empowers advancements in education, to support a groundbreaking effort to recognize schools that excel in career exploration for students as early as middle school. Under the grant, ASA and Building Hope will establish the Future Ready Schools Prize and Fellowship Program, a three-year initiative that will not only recognize excellence, but also support expansion of career exploration beginning in middle school.
In the first year of the competition, the Future Ready Schools Prize will award a total of $250,000 to five schools nationwide. Representatives from winning schools will participate in a Future Ready Schools Fellowship that includes an annual retreat, pro bono services, and a national community of practice focused on replicating what works in secondary education.
“Middle school is the lynchpin moment when students, free of the deadlines and stresses of high school, can begin to chart the course of their education and career aspirations after high school,” says Julie Lammers, President and CEO of ASA. “Schools that start career exploration in middle school are extending the runway for students by giving them more time to explore coursework, extracurriculars, and real-world experiences that ultimately inform their career choices and build the skills needed to pursue them.”
Research shows that 87 percent of middle schoolers are interested in ways to match specific skills and interests with potential careers. Moreover, 69 percent of high schoolers say they would have benefited from more career exploration in middle school.
Schools of all types, including district, charter schools and private schools, are invited to apply. To be eligible for the Future Ready Schools Prize and Fellowship Program, schools must:
- Provide a career exploration or career-connected learning program starting as early as middle school, and
- Serve a student population with 50 percent or more students from under-resourced or under-represented backgrounds (including students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, students of color, and students with special needs).
“Building Hope brings unique expertise to this initiative and a 22-year track record of strengthening school operations, expanding access, and creating environments where innovation can thrive,” said President and CEO of Building Hope William D. Hansen. “By combining our knowledge of school development, community impact, and program sustainability with ASA’s leadership in career readiness, we will ensure the Prize not only recognizes excellence, but also equips schools with the support they need to be truly future ready.”
The Future Ready Schools Prize and Fellowship Program expands on Building Hope’s Impact Program that has awarded a total of $668,500 to 47 charter schools and nine volunteer leaders in 21 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico, since 2021.
Applications for the Future Ready Schools Prize and Fellowship Program will open Dec. 3, 2025. Visit buildinghope.org/futurereadyschools for more information on the program including the selection criteria, deadlines, and informational webinars and other resources offered throughout the application period.
About Building Hope
Building Hope is a national nonprofit that empowers advancements in education through our work with schools and communities by providing unparalleled facility financing, real estate development, and operational services. We believe a facility should never be the barrier preventing a child from attending a great school. During our 22-year history, Building Hope has supported more than $2 billion in charter school projects. For more information, visit www.buildinghope.org.
About American Student Assistance
American Student Assistance® (ASA) is a national nonprofit 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.
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SOURCE Building Hope and American Student Assistance
