Reaching Learners
Help learners see what’s possible
Learners are looking for clear, meaningful paths—but often don’t see options that feel real or attainable.
These resources help you:
- Use aspirational language that builds confidence
- Connect education and training to real-world outcomes
- Avoid overwhelming or overly technical messaging
Explore resources for reaching learners below
Factsheet
Understanding and Supporting the Next Generation of Learners
This is a white-label resource available for unrestricted use.
This is a white-label resource available for unrestricted use.
Today’s learners are redefining what it means to succeed. Raised during uncertain times, they seek careers and education options that offer stability, purpose, and a clear return on investment.This fact sheet provides key insights, quotes, and data to help you better understand how to connect with and support them.
Toolkit
Roadtrip Nation Storytelling Toolkit
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This storytelling toolkit outlined the fundamentals of Road Trip Nation's storytelling approach, developed over two decades of co-creating these stories with young people, so that other nonprofits and impact-minded organizations can amplify young people’s voices and stories in their own work.
Research Report
Student Ability Report
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
The State of the Future U.S. Workforce: Student Ability Report analyzes anonymized data from the YouScience Discovery aptitude-based career guidance assessments taken in U.S. high schools (grades 9 through 12) across all 50 states in 2021. They outline our findings and suggest solutions that address the challenge in a holistic, practical way in this report.
Research Report
Education at a Crossroads
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
High school graduates no longer see the traditional 4-year college pathway as their only postsecondary option, according to the latest research from YouScience®. This report contains insights into pathways students are choosing instead, where they turn for influence and guidance, and where there are opportunities for improvement. The report includes data and solutions for:
- Career and Technical Education (CTE) awareness.
- Post-graduation satisfaction.
- Educator/student interactions.
- Counselor impact.
- Aptitude discovery.
Research Report
The Value of Community Colleges: Recent Students’ Motivations and Outcomes
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This study offers new insights about value community colleges provide and the range of needs that they serve. It examines recent community college students' motivations for enrolling, and their self-reported perceptions of the value of their education and training experiences, and the degree to which they acheived their goals for enrolling.
Research Report
High School Awareness Research
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This is a report containing the results of a study on new approaches in higher education, funded by the Charles Kock Foundation.
Article
What it will take to change the narrative about career education
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
The article discusses the growing issue of young Americans aged 18-24 not engaging in college or work, exacerbated by the pandemic. Despite high job vacancies, there's skepticism toward non-college education and job-training programs. The article highlights policy recommendations to integrate workforce training and higher education, stressing that both traditional and non-degree credentials are essential for economic mobility. The purpose is to advocate for a broader, more inclusive approach to postsecondary education and workforce training, aiming to enhance economic opportunities for all.
Research Report
Preparing our Students for the Real World
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This is a thought paper for school and community leaders. It takes an honest look at the reality of what was facing America students and its workforce in 2019 and what brought America to this reality. It also provides clarity and direction to bring greater effectiveness and scalability to Career Connected Learning practices.
Book
Choosing College
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This report looks at how people make decisions regarding higher education through “Jobs-to-be-Done” theory which interrogates and exposes the real reasons people make personal choices, from buying a milk shake to make life-changing decisions. The analysis based on this theory, provides important insights, both for college-bound students and their families, but also institutions of higher education, many of which might be tooling themselves to perform the wrong job.
Research Report
Pathways Matter to Families: What Parents and Young Adults Believe and Want to Know About Education to Workforce Pathways
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
Pathways Matter to Families offers insights and actionable resources for students and families. The two complementary resources linked are informed by original research investigating what parents and young adults think and want to know about education-to-workforce pathways and experiences.
Filters
Factsheet
Understanding and Supporting the Next Generation of Learners
This is a white-label resource available for unrestricted use.
This is a white-label resource available for unrestricted use.
Today’s learners are redefining what it means to succeed. Raised during uncertain times, they seek careers and education options that offer stability, purpose, and a clear return on investment.This fact sheet provides key insights, quotes, and data to help you better understand how to connect with and support them.
Toolkit
Roadtrip Nation Storytelling Toolkit
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This storytelling toolkit outlined the fundamentals of Road Trip Nation's storytelling approach, developed over two decades of co-creating these stories with young people, so that other nonprofits and impact-minded organizations can amplify young people’s voices and stories in their own work.
Research Report
Student Ability Report
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
The State of the Future U.S. Workforce: Student Ability Report analyzes anonymized data from the YouScience Discovery aptitude-based career guidance assessments taken in U.S. high schools (grades 9 through 12) across all 50 states in 2021. They outline our findings and suggest solutions that address the challenge in a holistic, practical way in this report.
Research Report
Education at a Crossroads
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
High school graduates no longer see the traditional 4-year college pathway as their only postsecondary option, according to the latest research from YouScience®. This report contains insights into pathways students are choosing instead, where they turn for influence and guidance, and where there are opportunities for improvement. The report includes data and solutions for:
- Career and Technical Education (CTE) awareness.
- Post-graduation satisfaction.
- Educator/student interactions.
- Counselor impact.
- Aptitude discovery.
Research Report
The Value of Community Colleges: Recent Students’ Motivations and Outcomes
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This study offers new insights about value community colleges provide and the range of needs that they serve. It examines recent community college students' motivations for enrolling, and their self-reported perceptions of the value of their education and training experiences, and the degree to which they acheived their goals for enrolling.
Research Report
High School Awareness Research
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This is a report containing the results of a study on new approaches in higher education, funded by the Charles Kock Foundation.
Article
What it will take to change the narrative about career education
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
The article discusses the growing issue of young Americans aged 18-24 not engaging in college or work, exacerbated by the pandemic. Despite high job vacancies, there's skepticism toward non-college education and job-training programs. The article highlights policy recommendations to integrate workforce training and higher education, stressing that both traditional and non-degree credentials are essential for economic mobility. The purpose is to advocate for a broader, more inclusive approach to postsecondary education and workforce training, aiming to enhance economic opportunities for all.
Research Report
Preparing our Students for the Real World
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This is a thought paper for school and community leaders. It takes an honest look at the reality of what was facing America students and its workforce in 2019 and what brought America to this reality. It also provides clarity and direction to bring greater effectiveness and scalability to Career Connected Learning practices.
Book
Choosing College
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This report looks at how people make decisions regarding higher education through “Jobs-to-be-Done” theory which interrogates and exposes the real reasons people make personal choices, from buying a milk shake to make life-changing decisions. The analysis based on this theory, provides important insights, both for college-bound students and their families, but also institutions of higher education, many of which might be tooling themselves to perform the wrong job.
Research Report
Pathways Matter to Families: What Parents and Young Adults Believe and Want to Know About Education to Workforce Pathways
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
This resource may be shared with proper attribution to the organization.
Pathways Matter to Families offers insights and actionable resources for students and families. The two complementary resources linked are informed by original research investigating what parents and young adults think and want to know about education-to-workforce pathways and experiences.