Student Pathways
New York City Public Schools’ (NYCPS) north star vision is to ensure that each student graduates on a pathway to a rewarding career and long-term economic security, equipped to be a positive force for change. As the largest school district in the nation, serving nearly 1 million students, NYCPS is committed to reimagining the student experience with a focus on career-connected learning driving more relevant and contextualized learning for students aligned to their futures. The Fund helps secure critical private support to accelerate and expand the impact of the work of the Office of Student Pathways to move NYCPS closer to its north star vision.
In partnership with business, philanthropy, postsecondary, education and community leaders, and students and families, NYCPS set bold new goals for NYC students’ educational experiences and outcomes. By 2030, NYCPS is committed to ensuring that all students will graduate with real-world skills, a strong plan, and a head start on college and career, including 100K+ students gaining access to in-depth experiences in career connected pathways, including internships or apprenticeships, in high- growth fields like health care and technology. Core to realizing these goals are two signature Pathways initiatives – FutureReadyNYC and Career Readiness and Modern Youth Apprenticeships.
FutureReadyNYC
FutureReadyNYC (FRNYC) is creating opportunities for New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) students and the city through engaging students in career-connected learning aligned with high-demand careers by offering pathways in technology, healthcare, business, education, HVAC and decarbonization, and human and social services. In 2023-2024, FutureReadyNYC witnessed significant participation, engaging over 9,300 students across close to 100 schools. FRNYC is a comprehensive reimagining of the high school experience, providing career-connected instruction, real-world paid work experiences, advanced coursework including early college credit and industry-validated credentials, and personalized career guidance, all aimed at equipping students with the exposure, skills and resources necessary for success in the workforce.
Career Readiness and Modern Youth Apprenticeships
As part of the Chancellor’s commitment to career-connected learning, the Career Readiness and Modern Youth Apprenticeship (CRMYA), a multi-year initiative developed in collaboration with the NYC Jobs CEO Council and CareerWise New York, facilitates students’ integration of academics, advanced training, and paid work, cultivating skills and exposure in their desired career fields.
Schools participating in the program offer robust career readiness courses, along with apprenticeship opportunities. Students engage in workshops and various training sessions during their freshman and sophomore years, preparing for apprenticeship applications. Beginning in their junior year, students who secure an apprenticeship split their time between school and their apprenticeship employer worksites, gaining paid rigorous work experience and receiving industry mentoring.
Real-World Skills, a Strong Plan, and Head Start
The Office of Student Pathways oversees several initiatives and pilots focused on digital and financial literacy and career readiness skills with the goal of scaling this programming to all New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) students by 2030. Launched in 2015, Computer Science for All (CS4All) is a public-private initiative to bring access to high-quality computer science education to every New York City K-12 public school student. During its first nine years, CS4All made significant progress toward this goal, increasing the number of schools implementing computer science education from 13% in 2015-2016 to 92% in 2023-2024 and successfully training over 3,500 teachers. In 2024-2025, the financial literacy components launched in all FRNYC high schools, and 30 schools will pilot a financial literacy curriculum developed with Next Gen Personal Finance. NYCPS has also forged a partnership with CareerWise New York and Big Picture Learning to implement career readiness coursework in 9th and 10th grade, reaching over 15,000 students at ~60 high schools in just under two years.
A new Career Navigation Roadmap provides a standardized but personalized approach for schools to help students graduate with a strong plan for their future. The roadmap, developed by the Office of Student Pathways in partnership with a coalition of schools, students, school support networks, and non-profits and community-based organizations in the college advising and workforce development fields, outlines critical milestones and activities essential for students’ future planning throughout high school. The roadmap seeks to empower students to take charge of their education and careers through four key phases: Examine, Explore, Engage, and Experience. It helps students navigate their educational journey, explore college and career options, and make informed decisions for a strong postsecondary path to a fulfilling and economically secure future.
In 2023-2024, over 27,000 NYCPS high school students enrolled in early college courses through CUNY College Now, FRNYC, Early College High School, and PTECH programs to get a head start on college and career. For the first time, the Office of Student Pathways has also helped to establish a formal partnership with SUNY to create additional early college credit opportunities. NYCPS and the Office of Student Pathways are continuing to work to enable equitable access to these opportunities, ensuring enrollment in and completion of early college courses reflect the demographics of the broader student population.