January 2026 - April 2028

The Connecting Talent to Opportunity Challenge is a $15 million prize competition that invites state Governors to assemble state teams to build or scale Talent Marketplaces. These marketplaces will incorporate a Credential Registry, Learning and Employment Records, and Skills-Based Job Description generators to better align talent with opportunity. Through this three-phase challenge, the Department will provide up to 10 semi-finalists and finalists with tailored technical assistance as they refine and implement their development plans. Both semi-finalists and finalists will be eligible to receive a portion of the $15 million prize pool.

Launched January 13, 2026.

On August 5, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education launched the Your AI Horizons Challenge — the third challenge in its annual CTE Momentum series to prepare high school students for rewarding careers and increase access to career and technical education. The Your AI Horizon Challenge invited high schools to propose AI solutions that reimagine traditional ways of working.

In 2024, the U.S. Department of Education launched the Power Your Future Challenge — the second challenge in its annual CTE Momentum series to prepare high school students for rewarding careers and increase access to career and technical education. The Power Your Future Challenge invited teams to submit innovative action plans that will advance energy solutions in their schools and communities.

In 2025, the Department awarded prizes to nine finalists of the Career Z Challenge, a multi-phase federal prize competition to expand high school students’ access to high-quality work-based learning. Finalists were selected from a pool of 73 semi-finalists representing schools from 34 states. Finalists received tailored technical assistance to accelerate the expansion and sustainability of their WBL ecosystem during the Challenge. Each finalist who completed the Phase 3 requirements was eligible to receive a share of a $1.5 million prize pool.

The purpose of the Your Place in Space Challenge is to create engaging learning opportunities for students to explore the challenges and opportunities in space missions; connect CTE programs with a wide variety of space careers; and inspire students to envision and pursue space careers. The call to action is to submit a design for a product or service that will contribute to space missions and exploration.

Launched in August 2020, CTE Mission: CubeSat is a national challenge to build technical skills for careers in space and beyond. Five finalists have advanced to Phase 2, during which they will build and launch CubeSat prototypes.

Launched in June 2020, the Rural Tech Project is a national challenge to advance rural technology education. The U.S. Department of Education invites high schools and local education agencies to propose technology education programs that use competency-based distance learning.

Launched in November 2016, the EdSim Challenge called upon the virtual reality, video game developer, and educational technology communities to submit concepts for immersive solutions that prepare students for the globally competitive workforce of the 21st century.

Launched in March 2016, the CTE Makeover Challenge called upon schools to design makerspaces that strengthen career and technical skills through making.

Launched in October 2015, the Reach Higher App Challenge called upon app developers, educators, and data mavens to submit mobile solutions that help students navigate education and career paths, and increase the capacity of career counselors to serve students.