LEXINGTON, Ky. — With support from the Walton Family Foundation, Blue Grass Community Foundation (BGCF) recently offered a funding opportunity for the development of new programs designed to accelerate innovation and equity in education-to-workforce experiences to better prepare Fayette County students in grades 6-12 for in-demand, high-wage employment opportunities.
Jubilee Jobs and the Black Male Working Academy were jointly awarded a grant of $500,000 to be dispersed over two years for their new collaborative initiative, “Innovate to Elevate,” a program designed to bridge the educational and professional performance gap prevalent among young men of color.
Through innovative workforce development curriculum, VR technology, career simulations, and mentorships from leading voices in the Lexington community, the initiative seeks to empower young African American men for successful careers in a 21st-century workforce.
“Jubilee Jobs is incredibly excited for BGCF and the Walton Family Foundation’s monumental investment in the ‘Innovate to Elevate’ initiative,” said Jubilee Jobs CEO Mason King. “With these funds, Jubilee Jobs and BMW Academy is set to launch impactful initiatives like virtual reality career exploration and the Youth Chamber of Commerce trip to broaden the opportunity horizon and engage Lexington’s youth. We believe that the future of Central Kentucky’s workforce lies in the great potential of our young neighbors, and we are eager to actualize that potential over the next two years.”
“The BMW Academy, Inc. and Jubilee Jobs of Lexington are so excited and are looking forward to working together in making a difference in the lives of the young people in our city,” said Roz Akins, Executive Director of the Black Male Working Academy. “This awesome grant that is being sponsored by the Walton Foundation and Blue Grass Community Foundation will set a new course in workforce development in helping young people understand the difference between a job and a career. We hope that through this grant, we will educate, motivate and activate the potential for excellence that lies within every person who participates in this grant!”
With a combined vision, the collaborative initiative seeks to redefine the future for African American males in Fayette County. The new program will directly benefit 175 Black Male Working Academy participants and an additional 500 Fayette County students of color, regardless of gender, who will have access to some of the more broadly offered resources.
Commerce Lexington is also a project partner and will serve as a bridge, connecting students with Lexington’s business community. They are sponsoring a Youth Chamber of Commerce trip that was birthed through this joint initiative and their involvement ensures the project is rooted in real-world applications and future-forward strategies.
The Request for Proposals (RFP) for BGCF’s Accelerating Innovative + Equitable Workforce Pathways Grant was designed by a community-based team representing a wide cross-section of organizations and professionals in the education and workforce development sectors. The RFP team also included college and high school students. After receiving thirteen applications eligible for consideration, an independent, intergenerational, community-based Grant Review Committee evaluated the grant proposals and made the final award recommendation.
“Blue Grass Community Foundation is honored to lead this collaborative, philanthropic effort to create more innovative, equitable career pathway opportunities for local youth who can benefit the most,” said BGCF President and CEO Lisa Adkins. “We appreciate the significant investment of the Walton Family Foundation, but a second round of grant funding to be offered later this year would not be possible without our local funding partners, including the 3.14 Going Forward Charitable Fund, Marksbury Family Foundation, Middleground Capital Management Foundation and Toyota Motor Manufacturing of Kentucky.”
