The following excerpt is quoted from the “Advancing Colorado’s Homegrown Talent Coalition to Lead and Sustain Complex Change” jointly published by the Colorado Education Initiative and Colorado Succeeds.
By Rebecca Holmes and Scott Laband
Dear Colorado Leaders, Partners, and Advocates:
Colorado stands at a pivotal moment in transforming the high school experience and expanding opportunities for every student. Over the past two decades, educators and partners across the state have built momentum, bringing together new learning experiences and opening classrooms to college and career pathways. This progress is supported by innovative policy, on-the-ground technical assistance, and leadership from postsecondary education, business, and industry to connect K-12 students with meaningful careers and postsecondary success.
Since 2019, Colorado Education Initiative (CEI) and Colorado Succeeds (CS) have been at the forefront of advancing this vision through the creation of the Homegrown Talent Initiative, partnering with eight rural Colorado communities to build high-quality college and career pathways. By combining policy leadership with direct support for districts and communities, we helped shape the conditions for success while modeling the cross-sector collaboration needed to scale this work statewide. We could not have imagined how these efforts would grow—from eight communities to significant state investments in key programs such as Rural Coaction and Opportunity Now, as well as alignment with critical recommendations from the 1215 Task Force.
This progress has been part of a broader collective effort to expand opportunities for learners in the majority of Colorado’s school districts. Today, this work has reached hundreds of schools, businesses, postsecondary education and training providers, and community partners, positioning Colorado to expand its impact statewide.
Still, the work is not complete. The Homegrown Talent Coalition represents a bold vision: ensuring every Colorado student has access to college credit, in-demand industry credentials, and high-quality work-based learning experiences aligned with their individual and informed pursuit of passion, purpose, and economic mobility. These opportunities should not be limited to select districts or regions—they should be guaranteed for every learner.
Achieving this requires intentional collaboration, streamlined policy implementation, and a shared commitment from education, industry, and government leaders to remove barriers and create coherent, scalable systems.
This paper outlines a roadmap for making that vision a reality. It is both a call to action and an invitation to join in continuing to build the structures needed to sustain this work for years to come. We know we have not done this alone, nor can we. The strength of this movement lies in the collective power of educators, communities, policymakers, non-profits, and business leaders, all aligned toward a future where every student leaves high school equipped for their next step.
We urge you to engage with this work, to bring your expertise and leadership to the table, and to help Colorado lead the way in redefining what it means to prepare students for their futures.
The time is now. Let’s finish this work together.
Rebecca Holmes is President and CEO of Colorado Education Initiative. Scott Laband is President of Colorado Succeeds.