Record Demand for PSS Community Collaboration Challenge Awards

The following article was written by Dorothy Jones & Jen LoPiccolo at the Partnership for Student Success.

The Partnership for Student Success (PSS) has completed its fourth Community Collaboration Challenge (CCC), and the response was extraordinary.

More than 700 applications were submitted this cycle, nearly three times the number received in 2025. Funding for this work began with the generous support from the New York Life Foundation and has continued for three additional years, thanks to the Leon Lowenstein Foundation. Their CCC investments have helped more than 85 communities in 39 states and DC to expand people-powered, evidence-based supports for K-12 students.

Congratulations to this year’s awardees, representing 18 states, including many receiving their first award.

The quality of this year’s applications was exceptional. Reviewing more than 700 submissions required extraordinary effort, and we are deeply grateful to the team of external reviewers who volunteered their time to help us make difficult decisions.

Requests included a broad range of pilots, project expansions, and stakeholder convenings, all working to provide people-powered, evidence-based student supports in their communities. They included mentoring programs to elevate young leaders of color; afterschool initiatives mobilizing high school students to tutor and mentor younger peers; school district and higher education initiatives partnering with community-based organizations to provide wraparound supports for K-12 students; and so much more! Across the country, communities are building solutions grounded in evidence and fueled by need.

Our applicant pool reflects a nationwide commitment to student success, including:

• Proposals from all 50 states, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico
• All five PSS support roles represented:

• • • • 39% focused on expanding mentoring
      • 26% on tutoring
      • 13% on success coaching
      • 11% on integrated wraparound supports
      • 10% on postsecondary transition supports

• More than 20% of applicants seeking support for rural communities
• 19% of applicants engage Federal Work Study students in work to support K-12
• A significant increase in applications from K–12 districts and higher education institutions
• Organizations of every size—from homegrown, place-based nonprofits to national networks and their affiliates
• More than half of applicants aimed to expand programs already demonstrating positive outcomes. When communities see impact, they want to reach more young people, while investing in training and capacity to ensure this work endures well beyond the Challenge.

The demand is unmistakable. At a time when that hope matters more than ever, organizations across the country are delivering high-quality, evidence-based supports that bring real impact to students and families. This year’s applications are further proof that 1) impactful work is happening in communities across the country, AND 2) the need is greater than ever as hundreds of quality, evidence-based proposals were not able to be funded .

To the organizations who applied: thank you. The care, consistency, and commitment you show to the young people in your communities does not go unnoticed. Every day, you are creating opportunity and expanding evidence-based, people-powered support for more and more young people to achieve and thrive. We are deeply grateful for the hope and stability you provide, and for the leadership you demonstrate in meeting this moment with purpose and heart.

Are you seeking to pilot or expand evidence-based, people-powered supports for K–12 students? We invite you to explore our free resources—featuring practical toolkits, technical assistance, and online training modules—designed to help you turn ideas into impact. Our team also hosts a series of collaborative working groups for higher education institutions, nonprofits, and K–12 districts committed to advancing this work together, and we have a large coalition of organizations you can join for free to connect with others in the field.