FAQs

Support & Answers
 
Below you will find answers to our most common questions. If you still have questions after reviewing this page, please contact us.

Applications

How are disabilities defined?
Our definition of disabilities is consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act, which defines a person with a disability as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity. This includes people who have a record of such an impairment, even if they do not currently have a disability. It also includes individuals who do not have a disability but are regarded as having a disability.  Therefore, physical disabilities (visible and invisible to the eye) as well as learning disabilities may be considered as part of the challenge.
Should the proposed programmatic solutions be more “universal” in nature so communities around the country can more easily adapt and implement them or can the programmatic solutions be highly tailored to a specific location or population, which could make it difficult to replicate in other places especially in light of available resources?
One of the main goals of this challenge is to identify and broadly disseminate lessons learned and best practices from the 10 teams to encourage and facilitate the development of future programs to support adults over age 26.  While we are interested in holding up programmatic models that have promise and the potential to being scaled and replicated in the future, we do not want teams to limit their ideas to what they think can be adapted and implemented by other communities because this may change over time based on a variety of factors.  Therefore, teams should instead focus on creating truly innovative programmatic solutions to pressing educational and employment challenges faced by adults in their respective communities, irrespective of whether these solutions can presently be scaled and replicated.
Can teams submit more than one programmatic idea in a single application?
Teams can submit one programmatic idea per application.  If a team has multiple ideas, they must submit a separate application for each idea.
Do specific partnerships need to be identified in the application or can the application reference aspirational partnerships that have not be finalized yet?
Teams should include as much information as possible about who their members and partners are as well as what these members and partners will contribute to the design and development process.  This information will help us to better understand the programmatic solution and why it is innovative and distinguishable from other existing approaches.
Is it possible for the wrap-around support component of the proposed programmatic solution to be the innovative feature that distinguishes the idea from existing approaches?
We are looking for innovative programmatic solutions that will result in greater entry, persistence and completion of adult students over 26 in career pathways.  Thus, innovations that eliminate common barriers preventing these students from being able to succeed by completely revamping the type, timing or delivery of wrap-around supports would be acceptable submissions.

Teams

What are the guidelines for the size of a team? If a proposal includes multiple agencies, is there a limit?
Teams are expected to have at least five members who will work together over the project period to develop and prepare to implement their programmatic solution.  There is no limit on the number of agencies or partnerships that can be involved.  However, we encourage teams to be very thoughtful about who to include, as members must have the commitment and capacity to actively participate and remain engaged during the project period and beyond if the program is implemented.
Is the challenge limited to adult education programs or can non-profit organizations who currently (or plan to) work with adult learners take part?
The competition is not limited to adult education programs.  However, teams are encouraged to include educators who understand how adults learn best as well as someone who has administrative expertise to assist with program design and development.

Design Camp

Is there a cost to attend Design Camp?
There is no cost to attend Design Camp.  We intend to reimburse participants for:  (a) airfare, train, bus or gas (if you drive) expenditures; (2) taxis (to and from the airport, train station or bus); and (3) hotel stay (two nights).  We will pay directly for meals that are part of the Design Camp agenda.  Thus, teams should not factor the cost of attending the Design Camp into their decision about whether to submit an application.
If a member of the original team cannot attend Design Camp, can a substitute attend in his or her place?
Yes.  It is possible to send a different member of your team to Design Camp if someone cannot attend at the last minute, provided there is enough time to make alternative travel arrangements on a cost effective basis.
How many people from a team can attend Design Camp?
We are still in the process of determining this number.  However, we anticipate that three to five people from each team may attend.  We will confirm this number in July when the 10 teams have been selected and the Design Camp agenda has been finalized.  Thus, teams with more than five members will likely have to decide who the best representatives are for Design Camp.  To accommodate team members who cannot attend in person, we will explore (but cannot promise) ways to facilitate virtual participation for select segments of the Design Camp agenda.

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