Learn to Earn Dayton

What Learn to Earn Dayton does

Learn to Earn Dayton is a regional nonprofit cradle-to-career intermediary organization founded in 2012 and headquartered in Dayton, Ohio. The organization convenes school districts, employers, higher education institutions, community organizations, and government agencies to improve student outcomes across Montgomery County and, more recently, the broader State of Ohio. Its central programmatic offering is PACCE (Pathways for Accelerated College and Career Experiences), which embeds career navigators inside partner high schools to connect students to dual enrollment through Ohio's College Credit Plus program, work-based learning, and career advising. Complementary programs include the Civic Leadership Program (an 8-month civic engagement academy modeled after Cincinnati's School Board School), the Summer + Afterschool Collaborative (a network of 21 partner organizations serving 1,000+ students annually), Reading is Lit literacy boxes in partnership with ThinkTV PBS, and the Community Investment Fund, which has committed $1.45 million to 28 local organizations.

The organization's underlying technology platform is a Statewide Data Dashboard that tracks student milestones along six core metrics — kindergarten readiness, early grade reading, middle grade math, high school graduation, postsecondary enrollment, and postsecondary completion — and supports gap-closing analysis across race, geography, and income. As a member of the StriveTogether Cradle to Career Network, Learn to Earn Dayton participates in a national peer-learning infrastructure and aligns its measurement approach to network standards.

Learn to Earn Dayton's business model is grant-funded rather than revenue-generating. The organization receives foundation grants (notably $3.6M from StriveTogether in 2024, $1.5M from the Pathways Impact Fund in 2026, $1M from the BlackRock Foundation in 2024, and $230,364 from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce in 2024), supplemented by individual donations and a Community Investment Fund regranting program. Programs are delivered free of charge to participants. Customer "segments" are best understood as beneficiaries (K-12 students and families), implementation partners (school districts, community organizations), and funders (national and regional foundations, government agencies). The organization pursues a community-led, convening-driven go-to-market model rather than direct sales.

Name

Learn to Earn Dayton

Legal name

Learn to Earn Dayton

Website

https://learntoearndayton.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Learn to Earn Dayton is a Dayton, Ohio-based nonprofit cradle-to-career intermediary that convenes school districts, employers, and community organizations to deliver career-connected learning, civic leadership training, literacy programs, and outcome tracking across Montgomery County and statewide Ohio.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education and Workforce Development Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Workforce Readiness, Career Pathways & Youth Employment Nonprofits (BPAGADAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth & Young Adult Workforce Programs (Out-of-School Youth) (EDAAAOAD), Transition Programs (Reentry, Workforce Readiness & Life Skills for At-Risk Youth) (EDAJAEAF), Enrichment-Focused Before/After Care (Arts, STEM, Language) (EDACAHAI), Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills) (EDAAAFAN)

Keywords

• Cradle-to-career education
• Career navigation services
• College access programs
• Community impact initiatives
• Education intermediary services

Headquarters

HQ city

Dayton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Foundation Grants: Learn to Earn Dayton operates as a nonprofit funded primarily through grants from foundations including StriveTogether ($3.6M Transform Impact investment), The BlackRock Foundation ($1M), Pathways Impact Fund ($1.5M), and other regional funders. These grants fund specific programs and initiatives.
2. Individual Donations: The organization accepts individual donations through its website to support programs advancing student success in Montgomery County.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Learn to Earn Dayton is a nonprofit cradle-to-career intermediary organization that convenes schools, employers, government, and community partners to improve student outcomes from early childhood through career. It delivers programs such as PACCE (in-school career navigation), the Civic Leadership Program, the Summer + Afterschool Collaborative network, and the Statewide Data Dashboard for outcome tracking.

Product overview

Learn to Earn Dayton operates as a cradle-to-career intermediary organization offering a portfolio of interconnected programs designed to improve student outcomes from early childhood through career. The core offerings include PACCE (Pathways for Accelerated College and Career Experiences), a career-connected learning program with in-school career navigators, and the Civic Leadership Program, an 8-month training academy for civic engagement. Supporting programs include the Summer + Afterschool Collaborative network, the Reading is Lit early literacy boxes, Community Investment Fund grants, the Statewide Data Dashboard for outcome tracking, and the Two-Generation Collaborative for family support initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PACCE (Pathways for Accelerated College and Career Experiences): Career-connected learning program that provides in-school career navigators to help students identify career interests, access dual enrollment through College Credit Plus, and engage with work-based learning experiences.
• Civic Leadership Program (CLP)
• Summer + Afterschool Collaborative (SASC)

Products and services

• PACCE (Pathways for Accelerated College and Career Experiences) Career-connected learning program placing career navigators in schools to help students identify career interests, access dual enrollment through Ohio's College Credit Plus program, and connect with work-based learning experiences aligned with in-demand careers. Targeted at middle and high school students in Ohio school districts.
• Civic Leadership Program (CLP) An 8- to 10-month training academy designed to empower Dayton residents with leadership skills and knowledge to advocate for students and families. Covers civic engagement, coalition-building, policy advocacy, and creating systemic impact within schools and local government.
• Summer + Afterschool Collaborative (SASC)

Quantifiable outcome

• Vision to put 5,500 more young people on path to economic mobility by 2030
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• StriveTogethercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 August 2024Learn to Earn Dayton is a member of the StriveTogether Cradle to Career Network and received a $3.6 million Transform Impact investment. StriveTogether is a national movement helping children succeed from cradle to career regardless of race, ethnicity, or zip code.
• Ohio Department of Education and WorkforcemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLearn to Earn Dayton works in partnership with the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce to scale career-connected learning framework statewide by 2029.
• Ohio ExcelsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLearn to Earn Dayton partners with Ohio Excels to scale career-connected learning elements statewide.
• Montgomery County Educational Service CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMCESC serves as Learn to Earn Dayton's strategic implementation partner for PACCE and other initiatives, committed to ensuring every student has access to meaningful career pathways.
• I Know I CanmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerColumbus-based partner that adopted the Learn to Earn Dayton PACCE framework for Columbus City Schools.
• Omega Community Development Center (Omega CDC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner collaborating on literacy programs, Two-Generation initiatives, and co-presenting at StriveTogether national convenings.
• Preschool PromisemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in kindergarten readiness initiatives and represented at StriveTogether national convenings alongside Learn to Earn Dayton.
• ThinkTV PBSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Reading is Lit boxes providing grade-level books and educational video content to families.
• Montgomery CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty government partner in Two-Generation Collaborative and Urban Institute Mobility Action Learning Network work.
• City of DaytoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal partner in Two-Generation Collaborative, place-based initiatives, and student success efforts including Mayor's Children's Cabinet.
• Fitz Center for Leadership in Community (University of Dayton)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner collaborating on Two-Generation initiatives and represented at Urban Institute convenings.
• Wright State UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrant recipient collaborating with Learn to Earn Dayton and MCESC on College Credit Plus teacher credential expansion.
• National Partners (StriveTogether Network)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of a national Cradle to Career Network impacting 14 million youth including 8 million children of color and 5 million children experiencing poverty.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• StriveTogether: National cradle-to-career network that is both a major funder and standards body for L2ED. Directly comparable as a collective-impact intermediary model operating at national scale across 14M youth.
• Ohio Excels: Ohio statewide business-education coalition focused on scaling career-connected learning — L2ED's explicit partner for statewide PACCE replication. Comparable as a state-level convener for education and workforce policy outcomes.

Direct peers

• Strive Partnership (Cincinnati): Cincinnati-based cradle-to-career intermediary and StriveTogether network member operating the original School Board School model that L2ED's Civic Leadership Program was explicitly adapted from. Closest geographic and operational peer.
• Achieve Atlanta: Atlanta-based cradle-to-career collective impact intermediary focused on postsecondary attainment and economic mobility. Operates a near-identical model of data, partnership convening, and outcomes tracking in a different metro.
• College Possible: National nonprofit providing near-peer coaching for college access and success, with strong presence in Ohio. Comparable in mission and target population (high school students needing career/college pathways) and uses embedded coach model similar to PACCE's career navigators.
• Cincinnati Youth Collaborative (CYC): Long-running Greater Cincinnati nonprofit that connects students to college and career pathways through school partnerships, mentorships, and career programming — a near-analog of L2ED's PACCE and College & Career work.

Regional players

• United Way of Greater Dayton: Local funder and community convener in the same Dayton region addressing education, economic mobility, and family stability. Operates overlapping mission and partnerships but with broader community scope beyond education.
• Montgomery County Educational Service Center: Strategic implementation partner for L2ED's PACCE and other initiatives serving 74,000+ K-12 students and 4,500 educators. Comparable as an Ohio-region education intermediary with district-coordination capabilities.
• KnowledgeWorks Foundation: Cincinnati-based education funder focused on personalized learning and college/career readiness in Ohio. Comparable as an Ohio-region education intermediary and policy advocate, and overlapping funder/partner ecosystem with L2ED.

Emerging players

• Bottom Line: Nonprofit focused on college access and degree completion for first-generation students from under-resourced communities. Comparable in target demographic and outcomes focus, though primarily operates on the East Coast and Midwest.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@learntoearndayton
• Facebookfacebook.com/LtoED
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/learn-to-earn-dayton
• Instagraminstagram.com/ltoedayton
• Xx.com/ltoed

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Learn to Earn Dayton