397263 - Career Academy Incentive Fund (CAIF)

The Career Academy Incentive Fund (CAIF) provides competitively awarded grants—up to $1 million per project—to support collaborative partnerships between Iowa school districts and community colleges that expand career‑academy programming, especially through regional centers. Eligible proposals must include at least one school district and one community college; projects that create new regional‑center‑based academies serving multiple districts are given priority. Funding supports concurrent enrollment, career‑themed curriculum sequences, and strong employer‑education partnerships. • Grants up to $1 M per award, with no set limit on the number of awards. • Requires a partnership of one school district and one community college (regional‑center projects may involve multiple districts). • Regional centers must serve at least four career‑academy programs and a minimum of 120 students from two or more districts (or four districts). • Emphasizes concurrent high‑school/college credit, career‑focused curriculum, and employer involvement.