Middle School Transition Partnership Fund – Career Readiness

Presentation and Video from Informational Webinar

About the RFP
For many students, their time spent in middle school will be their shortest tenure at a public educational institution. It is also a time of greater independence, new friends, more demanding coursework and new learning opportunities. One of the HIDOE strategic plan goals is to ensure that all students transition successfully from middle to high school. This is especially important to begin building upon students’ career readiness skills as they enter the next chapter of their educational journey.

How might schools help to support that experience for its students?

For students exiting middle school, we can expect that stronger career connectedness and transitions will mean improved  academic performance, knowledge of the opportunities they can avail of, what skills they need to be successful in high school, and overall, more success.

The goals behind this funding are to:

• Encourage relationship building between middle and high schools to create more intentional coordination between schools
• Demystify for students what to expect at their next school and bridge the knowledge gap
• Remove barriers for student success in their transition to the next level
• Provide opportunities for students to engage in career readiness activities and skill building

Funding Opportunity

Hawaii DOE middle/intermediate schools (or schools that include students in grades 6-8) may request up to $5,000 to support planning and execution of transition activities into or out of middle school over a period no longer than 12 months. Funds are flexible and may be used for a range of expenses, such as staff planning time, supplies, technical assistance or transportation costs for partnership projects and activities.

To be eligible for support, transition projects must show coordination and partnership between a middle/intermediate school in partnership with its feeder high school.

Project description/writeup should address:

• Student career connectedness and transition from middle school to high school should clearly define one or more of the five core tenets/models of Career Readiness Excellence:
  • School Adopts a “Whole School” Approach
  • School Intentionally Offers Career-Connected Courses
  • School College/Career Advising Program is “High Impact”
  • School Career-Connected Supportive Services are Multilayered
  • School Administrations Work Collaboratively to Ensure Continuity
• Demonstrate concrete collaboration between faculty and/or students at partner schools;
• Set forth major milestones or a work plan for collaboration and activity;
• Outline at least 3 success outcomes and how schools plan to accomplish these objectives. One project outcome should address sustainability and/or continuation of school partnership once the grant period ends.
• Connect budget requested to outcomes outlined.

The selection committee will prioritize requests that support work that is likely to lead to sustained collaboration between schools and student impact.

Additional Commitments
Please note that we will ask for partners to participate convenings to share best practices, lessons learned, and inform future collaborations.

Timeline

July 2025	Fund Announcement
July 30, 2025	Informational Webinar, 3-4 pm, via Zoom: Register Here Application Submission Opens on Fluxx
August 22, 2025	Due date for proposals
September 5, 2025	Announcement of projects
October 2025	Grantee meeting
April 2025	Grantee check in meeting
September 2025	Final report meeting

Application Instructions
Applications will be considered with our grants management platform Fluxx (link for submissions open on July 24). You will be asked to register and then will upload the following documents:

• Project Description (1000 words max)
  • What schools are partnering?
  • Name and Email of staff member overseeing project
  • Which of the five core tenets/models of excellence are you trying to address?
  • How will partner middle and high schools collaborate on this project?
  • What are the major milestones or work plans for this project?
  • Outline at least 3 success outcomes and how partnership teams plan to accomplish these objectives. One project outcome should address sustainability and/or continuation of schools’ partnership once the grant period ends.
• Project Budget
• Letter of Support from partner school principal
• Letter of Support from the Complex Area Superintendent or designee

Should you have any questions, contact Maria Quidez at mquidez@castlefoundation.org.