About the Opportunity
New America’s Future of Work & Innovation Economy initiative (FOWIE) and the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT)’s Center for Policy & Practice invite community college presidents and trustees to engage cross-functional teams in applying to participate in a Work-Based Learning (WBL) Capacity-Building Cohort.
This opportunity will empower a national cohort of six community colleges to undertake a comprehensive institutional self-study and strategic planning process to assess the quality and increase the availability of WBL opportunities at their institution. The formal participation timeframe will be from June 2026 to December 2027, with optional opportunities to follow.
The Work-Based Learning Capacity Building Cohort is offered through the Accelerator for Community Colleges in the Innovation Economy (Accelerator). The Accelerator is a strategic initiative launched by New America and the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). The Accelerator’s mission is to build the community college sector’s capacity for economic and workforce development strategies, particularly for advanced and emerging technologies. ACCT serves on the Accelerator’s National Partners Council alongside the American Association of Community Colleges, Achieving the Dream, and other national associations.
You can read more about this opportunity on New America's website.
Timeline and Important Dates
Application Release Date: March 30, 2026
Informational Meeting for Prospective Applicants: April 9, 2026 (Register here)
Application Submission Deadline: May 8, 2026
Finalist Interview Period: Late May 2026
Decision Notification & Onboarding: June 2026
- Project Participation: June 2026 to December 2027 (Optional opportunities to follow)
To Submit Your Application
Please submit your application using this SurveyMonkey Apply form by 5:00 p.m. PT on May 8, 2026. You can also download a document version of the full application at this link. Applications that are incomplete or submitted after the application deadline will not be considered. Questions may be directed to futureofwork@newamerica.org.
Participation Requirements & Timeline
Deploy the provided institutional self-study tool to on-and off-campus stakeholders to comprehensively audit and inventory the college’s current approaches to creating WBL opportunities, and identify strengths and areas of growth and improvement. These findings will be presented to the college’s senior leadership and to other partners. (6-7 months)
Engage stakeholders and trustees in the self-study process, which may include interviewing internal and external campus stakeholders, such as college leaders, faculty, staff, students, alumni, employers, and external partners (including national or regional organizations).
Develop a ‘strategic plan for WBL capacity-building’ with New America, based on the results of the self-study, to enact at least five concrete institutional policy and practice changes to strengthen the institution’s ability to scale quality WBL experiences college-wide, across a 1-5 year timeframe as determined by the college. (3-4 months)
Implement the ‘strategic plan for WBL capacity-building’ and make at least one capacity-building institutional policy or practice change, based on a set of actionable deliverables and milestones to be completed by the close of the project in December 2027. (8-9 months)
Participate in technical assistance support from New America and ACCT, including individual coaching meetings and regular virtual workshops for the cohort with experts in WBL capacity-building, college mentors, and other resources. (Ongoing)
Optional: Share insights and lessons learned with peers and leaders from other communities across the country by engaging in New America and ACCT’s storytelling efforts, social media campaigns, speaking opportunities, and other mechanisms to disseminate the published self-study tool.
Work-Based Learning Capacity-Building Cohort Application (Accelerator for Community Colleges in the Innovation Economy)
About the Opportunity
New America’s Future of Work & Innovation Economy initiative (FOWIE) and the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT)’s Center for Policy & Practice invite community college presidents and trustees to engage cross-functional teams in applying to participate in a Work-Based Learning (WBL) Capacity-Building Cohort.
This opportunity will empower a national cohort of six community colleges to undertake a comprehensive institutional self-study and strategic planning process to assess the quality and increase the availability of WBL opportunities at their institution. The formal participation timeframe will be from June 2026 to December 2027, with optional opportunities to follow.
The Work-Based Learning Capacity Building Cohort is offered through the Accelerator for Community Colleges in the Innovation Economy (Accelerator). The Accelerator is a strategic initiative launched by New America and the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). The Accelerator’s mission is to build the community college sector’s capacity for economic and workforce development strategies, particularly for advanced and emerging technologies. ACCT serves on the Accelerator’s National Partners Council alongside the American Association of Community Colleges, Achieving the Dream, and other national associations.
You can read more about this opportunity on New America's website.
Timeline and Important Dates
Application Release Date: March 30, 2026
Informational Meeting for Prospective Applicants: April 9, 2026 (Register here)
Application Submission Deadline: May 8, 2026
Finalist Interview Period: Late May 2026
Decision Notification & Onboarding: June 2026
- Project Participation: June 2026 to December 2027 (Optional opportunities to follow)
To Submit Your Application
Please submit your application using this SurveyMonkey Apply form by 5:00 p.m. PT on May 8, 2026. You can also download a document version of the full application at this link. Applications that are incomplete or submitted after the application deadline will not be considered. Questions may be directed to futureofwork@newamerica.org.
Participation Requirements & Timeline
Deploy the provided institutional self-study tool to on-and off-campus stakeholders to comprehensively audit and inventory the college’s current approaches to creating WBL opportunities, and identify strengths and areas of growth and improvement. These findings will be presented to the college’s senior leadership and to other partners. (6-7 months)
Engage stakeholders and trustees in the self-study process, which may include interviewing internal and external campus stakeholders, such as college leaders, faculty, staff, students, alumni, employers, and external partners (including national or regional organizations).
Develop a ‘strategic plan for WBL capacity-building’ with New America, based on the results of the self-study, to enact at least five concrete institutional policy and practice changes to strengthen the institution’s ability to scale quality WBL experiences college-wide, across a 1-5 year timeframe as determined by the college. (3-4 months)
Implement the ‘strategic plan for WBL capacity-building’ and make at least one capacity-building institutional policy or practice change, based on a set of actionable deliverables and milestones to be completed by the close of the project in December 2027. (8-9 months)
Participate in technical assistance support from New America and ACCT, including individual coaching meetings and regular virtual workshops for the cohort with experts in WBL capacity-building, college mentors, and other resources. (Ongoing)
Optional: Share insights and lessons learned with peers and leaders from other communities across the country by engaging in New America and ACCT’s storytelling efforts, social media campaigns, speaking opportunities, and other mechanisms to disseminate the published self-study tool.