At Britebound™, we don’t just want to keep young people at the center, but ensure that they have the tools necessary to find their why and find their way, regardless of background. With many teens reporting that they feel unprepared for life after high school, for students with disabilities, this can be doubly true when career readiness education must also include conversations on accessibility, societal stigma, and a lack of information on the opportunities available to them. In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the 2024 unemployment rate for people with disabilities was about twice that of those without a disability, indicating a dire need for more support for this population.


That’s why Britebound is proud to support organizations that commit to making a difference in the lives of young people with disabilities, such as the National Center for Learning Disabilities, PHILLIPS, and TERC. From committing to developing more inclusive career readiness education, encouraging neurodivergent students to explore and pursue careers in STEM, to developing career readiness education initiatives that meet the needs of students with disabilities, these grantees are working to ensure that all young people aren’t just supported, but encouraged to thrive as they pave their way to postsecondary success.


Keep reading to find out more about these three organizations.


Driving Equitable Access to Future Readiness

The National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) is an organization that partners with educators, students, families, and young adults to identify and address systemic barriers in schools, workplaces, and communities. They recognize that students with learning disabilities can face barriers to career and future readiness education due to social stigma, along with a lack of proper funding, accommodations, and resources.


Through community building, resource sharing, and advocating for more inclusive policies, NCLD is putting in the work to build a more equitable society where everyone possesses the academic, social, and emotional skills needed to succeed in the classroom, in their careers, and beyond.


“Too often, students with disabilities are left out of programs that prepare their peers for life after high school. This investment can help us change that by allowing us to work hand-in-hand with states and schools to redesign those systems, so every young person, regardless of disability, has a clear and supported path to pursue meaningful careers and futures they choose for themselves.” — Dr. Jacqueline Rodriguez, CEO, National Center for Learning Disabilities.


With their grant from Britebound, NCLD will launch a national initiative to ensure middle and high schoolers with disabilities have equitable access to career readiness education. Through a partnership with Arizona, Massachusetts, and Wyoming, the project will work to develop a national inclusive future readiness framework, pilot inclusive practices, train educators, and center the voices of youth with disabilities.


Supporting Youth with Behavioral Health Wellness Needs

Founded in 1967, PHILLIPS has carried the belief that every child can overcome adversity with the right support and tools throughout the decades. Through their four schools across Maryland, DC, and Virginia, PHILLIPS meets learners where they are and provides individualized and integrated services, such as speech and language therapy, physical therapy, career and technical education programming, local career opportunities, and more.


With an eye on future readiness, their state-approved special education schools have specialized CTE programs for high schoolers: Building Futures (learning about and earning credentials in construction and other trades), Designing Futures (a program focusing on 3D Design Print and IT), and Growing Futures (their Culinary Arts and Agri-Enterprise program). Each program provides hands-on training, certifications, and the opportunity to build crucial career readiness skills, setting up students with emotional disabilities, autism, intellectual disabilities, specific learning disabilities, and beyond are set up for postsecondary independence and success.


“We are deeply grateful to Britebound for this generous investment in our middle school students. This funding allows us to deepen our commitment at a pivotal moment — expanding access to career exploration and ensuring that young people can envision and prepare for futures filled with opportunity. When students can see what’s possible — and see themselves in it — they begin to imagine more, trust their strengths, and take pride in the futures they are building.” — Piper Phillips Caswell, President & CEO, PHILLIPS


As a Britebound grantee, PHILLIPS will bring career readiness education to middle schoolers with disabilities across the metro-DC area. By providing early, sustained exposure to career pathways, employer partnerships, field trips, credentialing, and strong family engagement, PHILLIPS is helping learners with disabilities bridge the gap from school to meaningful work.


Making STEM Accessible for All

TERC has supported youth engagement in STEM for over 60 years. A leading nonprofit in STEM education research and development, TERC works with learners of all ages to expand access to meaningful STEM experiences, advance career exploration and workforce pathways, and provide extensive professional development and consulting to educators. Their mission is to improve math and science for all students, as demonstrated through their development of STEM educational products, integration of emerging tech into learning environments, and research-based work that supports educators and communities.


In the realm of accessibility, TERC is a huge proponent of expanding access and belonging in science and math by developing curricula and educational training materials that support every learner, including neurodivergent students. They hope that through their work, they will be able to meet the needs of a diverse array of students across the country to spark their interest in and prepare them for successful careers in STEM.


“When emerging technologies are designed with purpose and for all learners, they can expand the community of learners who will succeed in STEM. NeuroVivid Pathways reflects our work to design learning experiences that value different ways of learning, support educators, deepen problem solving and collaboration, and use technology in relevant and empowering ways that open doors for neurodivergent students to see themselves in STEM.” — Christine Reich, President of TERC


Britebound’s support will go towards TERC’s “NeuroVivid Pathways,” a STEM maker camp and educator training initiative for neurodivergent middle schoolers in Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Alaska. This program provides training, materials, and support to meet the needs of neurodivergent middle schoolers nationwide, and spark their interest in and prepare them to enter careers in the STEM field.


From boots-on-the-ground programming to research-informed curricula, all three of these organizations are contributing to a brighter and more accessible future by building bridges and providing support to learners with disabilities.


Keep an eye on our Medium page to learn more about our most recent cohort of grantees!