R-PEP 101 is Empower Schools’ practical guide to Rural Pathway Excellence Partnerships, a Texas model that helps rural districts work together to expand college and career pathways. The guide explains how policy, funding, higher education partnerships, and workforce collaboration can support rural students and communities.

This national guide examines six work-based learning programs and the policies, partnerships, staffing, funding, and infrastructure that help career-connected learning succeed. Four of the featured programs are supported by Empower Schools.

In Fast Tracking Student Success, Empower Schools examines how Rural Alliance Zone-32 in East Central Indiana uses cross-district collaboration, shared career pathways, and employer partnerships to help rural students meet new diploma seal requirements. The case study highlights work-based learning, credentials of value, student-run enterprises, and regional pathway design.

In Discover FMI, Empower Schools examines how the Fremont Multi-District Initiative in Colorado expands rural student access to career pathways, industry certifications, and on-the-job training. The case study highlights how rural districts can collaborate across communities to create more equitable opportunities tied to high-wage, high-demand careers.

Empower Schools’ 2024-25 Annual Report shares progress, partnerships, and impact from a year of work with communities, school systems, policymakers, and partners. As Empower’s annual report highlights work across Innovation Schools, Rural Collaboratives, and Early College and Career Pathways..

Empower Schools’ Colorado Rural Collaboratives guide helps rural communities understand how regional intermediaries can expand college and career pathways across districts. The guide explains how Rural Collaboratives connect school districts, higher education institutions, employers, and community partners to build shared opportunities for students.

State lawmakers and rural education leaders examine how shared career pathways, sustainable funding, and cross-district collaboration can expand opportunity for rural students.

Ten Years of Empowerment is Empower Schools’ retrospective magazine celebrating a decade of work with communities across the country. The resource shares Empower’s story, timeline, partnerships, and evolution as an organization supporting school system innovation, policy change, and expanded student opportunity.

This SXSW EDU panel brings together rural education leaders from Texas, Colorado, and Indiana. They share how Rural Collaboratives help districts pool resources, expand college and career pathways, coordinate with employers and higher education, and preserve opportunity within rural communities.

Elevating Rural Colorado shares five years of investment, learning, and partnership focused on improving outcomes for rural students and communities in Colorado. The report highlights lessons from rural education work, regional collaboration, and efforts to strengthen opportunity through local capacity, shared strategy, and sustained support.

Rural leaders share how collaboration, workforce investment, place-based learning, policy, and storytelling can expand opportunity for students in small communities.

The Rural Collaborative Toolkit is a step-by-step guide for planning, designing, implementing, and sustaining rural school collaboratives. The toolkit helps rural leaders build shared vision, governance, partnerships, funding, implementation plans, and long-term systems of support for cross-district collaboration.

Support for Rural Colorado Schools examines how philanthropy and districts came together to serve students during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The resource highlights the needs of rural Colorado schools, promising practices from early responses, and opportunities for funders to support rural communities.