rootEd Alliance

Program Description:

More than 9.5 million learners attend public schools in rural communities, approximately 20 percent of all K-12 students in the country. Since 2018, rootEd Alliance has placed career advisors in rural high schools to provide one-on-one support for each senior to identify and move toward a career goal. The program supports learners as they determine and navigate their chosen career pathways, whether through a two- or four-year college degree, industry-valued credentials, apprenticeships, or military service. 

By providing dedicated advising in rural high schools, rootEd helps equip seniors to pursue in-demand careers, including in their own communities. By partnering with local employers on career exposure opportunities for students, the program also helps close workforce gaps to drive rural economic prosperity. 

In the 2025-26 academic year, the program served 300 high schools in Alaska, Arkansas, Illinois, Idaho, Missouri, and Texas, totaling over 20,000 seniors. The program has partnered with more than 1,500 national and local businesses aligned with high-wage and high-demand industries, including in advanced manufacturing, business, construction, engineering, and healthcare. 

How It Works:

rootEd places dedicated advisors in rural schools to support students as they choose and navigate their career paths. The program has two key components: it is locally based and the advisor is focused on students’ long-term careers, regardless of the path they plan to take. The 280 rootEd advisors, hired locally, are placed directly in schools and contribute alongside school staff. Advisors work alongside school counselors, who are often overburdened with caseloads supporting administration and day-to-day issues.  

The one-on-one advising model is simple: rootEd advisors help students explore in-demand career opportunities and provide personalized guidance as they navigate the often-complex path to realizing their plans. Advisors work closely with each senior to introduce them to careers, including organizing group visits to speak with industry professionals, college tours, and research scholarships. Advising may extend to matching students to career opportunities through job shadowing, training programs, and/or part-time work; helping students identify and apply for financial aid and scholarships; preparing students to apply to best-fit colleges, career training, or apprenticeships; and supporting seniors in their transition to college and career, by helping them navigate housing, transportation, and other logistics.

Because many rural students have had limited exposure to career opportunities beyond their immediate communities, the chance to visit an employer worksite or college campus can be transformative, expanding their understanding of what is possible for their future. The program found that exposing learners to different paths is a critical step, serving students as well as the employers who are not finding skilled workers on their own. 

Impact: 

rootEd Alliance conducts evaluations at many levels to assess outcomes for their participants: 20 percent more in apprenticeships; 27 percent increase in FAFSA application completion; 29 percent more students pursing college or career training; 54 percent fewer students in low-skill, low-wage jobs; and 90,000 seniors supported to date. 

The data system tracks each individual participant’s progress in a dedicated CRM platform. Individual learners’ progress is tracked and data is analyzed to assist in managing both individual student success and the execution of the model within the school. The program also continuously surveys learners, advisors, and school administrators to refine and adapt the model.  

rootEd also tracks outcomes through the National Student Clearinghouse for those who go on to college, comparing the baseline for a school to the profile for the graduates three years later. The program conducts surveys of graduates who did not go on to college after six months.  

As a result, the program can monitor and guide outcomes at a granular level. Overall, in the program’s view, the most important outcomes are helping graduates get on a path to high-wage, in-demand careers, with broad implications for their families and communities. With workforce development emerging as a key priority and rural communities facing persistent challenges, interest in the program has grown among both philanthropic partners and states. In its next chapter, rootEd’s leadership is mindful of balancing local adaptation while scaling up.