Same CCE, new brand!
The Center for Collaborative Education is redefining how teachers are prepared, supported, and celebrated. Our Educator Pathway Program connects communities and schools through an integrated “Grow Your Own” model that breaks down systemic barriers to the teaching profession and builds a new generation of equity-minded educators as community leaders.
Rooted in our Powered-Up Approach, this work brings families, students, educators, and community leaders together to co-design solutions for teacher recruitment, preparation, and retention. Together, we cultivate educators who reflect the communities they serve, elevate diverse voices, and champion social and educational equity.
CCE’s Educator Pathway includes three interconnected strands:
Focusing on career exploration, mentoring, and success coaching for community college students early in their exploration of teaching and education careers. Access to opportunities and events focusing on both teaching careers & content, as well as a network of peers and early-career professionals, plus with a stipend offered for participation.
Career exploration and work-based learning, success coaching, and development for enrollment in CA Teacher Apprenticeship Program, including a basic needs stipend. Registered with the US Department of Labor (DOL) and CA Division of Apprenticeship Standards (DAS) with multiple on-ramps to explore teaching. This program is for high school students (16+), community college students, and under-employed adults.
Offering one-on-one mentoring with a certificated teacher, paid on-the-job training, dedicated advising, success coaching, wraparound support, and college credits. These can apply towards a bachelor’s degree, teaching credential, and certificated employment. Registered with the US DOL and CA DAS, serving individuals committed to becoming credentialed teachers, such as paraprofessionals, career changers, and university students.
Each strand is supported by the Community Mentoring Network (CMN): a platform for student, educator, and community engagement through workshops, conferences, special events, field trips, with measurable outcomes in student belonging, persistence, and success.
CCE’s Educator Pathway transforms teacher education into a shared civic mission; one that amplifies community voice, dismantles inequities, and ensures every child learns from educators who know their stories, speak their languages, and believe in their potential. Through partnerships with school districts, community colleges, universities, and community organizations across California and beyond, we are developing 1,000 new community-and-school-driven educators by 2030.
The CCE STEM Pathway Pre-Apprenticeship and Apprenticeship Program empowers students to explore, discover, and lead in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. This bi-coastal program connects high schools, community colleges, universities, and industry leaders to create a seamless pipeline from classroom to career.
Participants gain hands-on experience in world-class research environments such as Caltech, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the SETI Institute, where they work alongside scientists and engineers tackling real-world challenges. Students develop technical expertise, career readiness, and leadership skills while also learning to mentor peers and younger students, building a self-sustaining community of STEM learners.
The program’s structure unfolds in two phases: early-college and community college students begin as pre-apprentices, training in STEM disciplines, communication, and career readiness. In the second phase, they become mentors to high school students, expanding access and confidence among those historically underrepresented in STEM fields.
With stipends, wraparound supports, and personalized coaching, CCE’s STEM Pathway tackles three national challenges:
Graduates of the program go on to universities and research careers, carrying forward a passion for science and a commitment to equity. The STEM Pathway’s innovative, dual-track design builds both future scientists and future STEM teachers, diversifying the talent pipeline and empowering students to see themselves as researchers, educators, and changemakers in their communities.
Together, let’s build a brighter future for our communities through collaborative education.
