MDRC and LaGuardia Community College, with funding provided by MetLife Foundation, are seeking one community college or community-based organization to develop a contextualized career-focused GED program modeled on LaGuardia Community College’s GED Bridge to Business and Health Careers Program. The institution selected will receive in-depth technical assistance, professional development, data collection tools, and a small stipend.

LaGuardia’s GED Bridge Program aims to connect GED students to careers and postsecondary education through critical enhancements to the traditional GED curriculum. Rather than simply “teaching to the test,” as is standard for many GED preparation classes, the program includes a specially designed curriculum that integrates material from the fields of health care and business, as well as transitional support to help students identify the career or course of study that is right for them. Ultimately, the program hopes to demonstrate that teaching the GED within the context of career-based themes and transitional support, with a strong focus on developing general academic skills, will lead to higher GED pass rates and higher rates of postsecondary success among graduates. MDRC is currently conducting a small-scale random assignment evaluation of LaGuardia Community College’s program.

All application materials must be submitted by email to Wynne Ferdinand, LaGuardia Community College, wferdinand@lagcc.cuny.edu, by January 7, 2013.

Questions? Contact Vanessa Martin at MDRC, vanessa.martin@mdrc.org.