Background
Part of PASSHE’s public mission is “to prepare students at the undergraduate and graduate levels for professional and personal success in their lives.” To help in that preparation, The PASSHE Foundation is delighted to offer course innovation and enhancement funding opportunities to integrate sustainable and applied learning content, created with an employer or community partner, into academic courses through Work-Based Learning (WBL).

WBL is a proven, high-impact practice that helps students apply theory to practice, build essential skills, and envision their place in the world that helps transform student learning from something abstract into something immediate, purposeful, and lasting. Through the RFP, faculty have an opportunity to submit proposals to create innovative, applied learning experiences that give students a real-world audience for their ideas, skills, and creativity.

Faculty may submit a proposal for possible funding under two funding categories:
Signature Project ($5,000) - A major applied project woven throughout the course.
Single Assignment ($2,500) - A meaningful, standalone assignment or module linked to a real-world application.

Whether through an engagement with industry leaders, a community partnership, or nonprofit collaboration, students will see their education come alive in ways that spark deeper learning, critical thinking, and career confidence. To ensure broad impact, funded projects will be shared across PASSHE institutions, offering inspiration and resources to other faculty members.