Homegrown Talent Initiative
The Homegrown Talent Initiative has come to set the standard for career-connected learning and community partnership in rural Colorado. What started with eight pilot communities in 2019 went on to expand to more than 60 districts in 2022 through advocacy and state and local investments. Now, plans are underway to scale and sustain HTI’s outcomes, increase opportunities for students, jumpstart local economic growth, and uncover new possibilities for Colorado’s communities, learners, and businesses.
Read our 2024 report reflecting on five years of partnership and growth in rural spaces and the foundation this work has provided to inform future progress.
What is the Homegrown Talent Initiative?
The Homegrown Talent Initiative (HTI) is a statewide effort to develop career-connected learning experiences for K-12 students in rural communities across the state. To better prepare for life after graduation, schools and communities strategically focus on skill development, career-connected learning experiences, and flexible, relevant opportunities that align to student interests and local industry needs.
HTI supports the development of lifelong learners, rooted deeply in the context of local community assets and needs, through cultivating and solidifying partnerships between often siloed organizations.
Original HTI Goals
- Improve the lives of rural students and their communities by promoting relevant and dynamic skill development and work-based learning in students.
- Empower rural communities as champions of systems-level change in education
- Build momentum for future career-connected initiatives in other districts across the state
- Change the narrative around what’s possible in rural Colorado communities
The Career-Connected Learning Continuum
The Network
After three years of deep partnership with rural communities, Colorado Succeeds and CEI are expanding a proven model for career-connected learning statewide. With support from the State of Colorado’s Rural Coaction investment, the Homegrown Talent Initiative (HTI) now includes nearly 60 districts building regional “educonomies” that align education with local industry needs.
The Program
The Homegrown Talent Initiative empowers rural communities to design their own visions for student success—grounded in local strengths, values, and needs. Through a cohort-based model, communities design homegrown programs that boost student engagement, strengthen school-business partnerships, and create real-world opportunities. With coaching, technical assistance, and an emphasis on equity and innovation, HTI helps schools build systems that prepare every student for real-world success.