Pathway2Careers Selected to Develop Innovative Career-Connected Learning Courses for Schools

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Pathway2Careers Selected to Develop Innovative Career-Connected Learning Courses for Schools  

MARYVILLE, Tenn., March 31, 2026 —

Pathway2Careers (P2C), a national leader in Career-Connected Learning (CCL), has been awarded a statewide contract to develop two new, fully integrated courses designed to transform how students connect academics to real-world careers. 

The essential courses: Financial Literacy Math and Career Exploration will expand the organization’s comprehensive CCL model and provide schools with turnkey, standards-aligned, research-based curricula that connect academic learning to workforce relevance.  

The initiative reflects a growing commitment by state education leaders to ensure students gain early, meaningful exposure to careers while building real-world financial and mathematical skills that support long-term economic mobility.  

The Career Exploration course is designed specifically for grades 6–7, a critical window when students begin forming academic identity and future aspirations. The curriculum introduces broad career pathways, employability skills, and labor market awareness in developmentally appropriate ways—helping students connect interests to opportunity before high school course decisions are made. 

At the same time, the Financial Literacy Math course integrates personal finance concepts directly into mathematics instruction, reinforcing relevance while supporting state math and financial literacy standards. Together, the courses provide a cohesive, scalable approach to career-connected learning across grade bands. 

These courses are designed to align academic learning with workforce relevance by integrating real-world applications, labor market data, and career pathways into daily instruction. Together, they represent a significant step forward in ensuring students not only learn core content but also understand how that learning translates into future opportunities. 

“This work represents exactly where education needs to go,” said Dr. Joseph Goins, CEO of P2C. “For too long, students have asked, ‘Why does this matter?’ By embedding career relevance directly into math and early career exploration, we are not just teaching content, we are helping students find purpose, direction, and opportunity. This expands our Career-Connected Learning model in a way that provides schools with a complete, ready-to-implement curriculum that drives engagement and outcomes.” 

P2C was selected for its deep expertise in career-connected learning, its experience delivering large-scale, statewide curriculum initiatives, and its ability to align instruction with college and career readiness, CTE, and workforce priorities. The organization’s approach emphasizes: 

• Research-backed instructional design 

• Clear standards alignment 

• Career relevance across academic content 

• Equity, access, and local workforce alignment 

The resulting courses will support efforts to modernize graduation requirements, expand financial literacy instruction, and strengthen career readiness pipelines, this initiative serves as a model for how early career exploration and financial literacy can be embedded into core instruction—not treated as one-time experiences. 

“This contract reinforces what we’re seeing across the country,” said Kari Stillman, President and COO at P2C. “States are looking for partners who understand both education systems and workforce realities. With the addition of Financial Literacy and expanded Career Exploration, we are now delivering a truly comprehensive model, connecting core academic math programs and career development into one cohesive system. P2C is proud to lead this work and give educators a clear pathway to connect academics to careers without adding complexity.” 

Both courses are scheduled to be available to schools this fall and reinforce P2C’s commitment to helping states, districts, and schools align education with workforce needs, bridging the gap between classroom learning and real-world success. 

With this investment, Pathway2Careers continues to lead the national movement toward making education more relevant, engaging, and impactful for every student. 

Media Contact:

Kari Stillman
President & COO
Kari.Stillman@p2c.org