Colorado Rural Collaboratives: Catalyzing Career Pathways with Regional Intermediaries
Empower Schools’ Colorado Rural Collaboratives guide helps rural communities understand how regional intermediaries can expand access to college and career pathways across districts.
↓ Download the Colorado Rural Collaboratives Guide PDF
The guide explains how Rural Collaboratives bring together school districts, higher education institutions, employers, and community partners to create shared opportunities for students. It is designed to support rural leaders exploring how to build, govern, fund, and sustain regional pathway partnerships.
This resource connects to Empower Schools’ work on Rural Collaboratives and Early College and Career Pathways by showing how regional infrastructure can help rural communities expand student access to credentials, college credit, work-based learning, and career-connected opportunities.
This guide covers:
The benefits of forming a Rural Collaborative
How regional intermediaries can support shared college and career pathways
Examples of collaborative services that design, expand, and strengthen pathways
Governance models and sustainable funding strategies
Lessons from the field for rural communities building cross-district partnerships
Best for: rural district leaders, state education leaders, workforce partners, higher education partners, funders, community organizations, and leaders building Rural Collaboratives or Early College and Career Pathways.
