LEAD TRAINING AWARDED $200,000 FROM CATALYZE CHALLENGE TO LAUNCH PEERFORWARD WORKFORCE MODEL

National Organization Awards LEAD for Their Bold Innovations in Career-Connected Learning for Young People

CINCINNATI, OH – September 22, 2026 – LEAD Training, a growing Cincinnati-based nonprofit that helps primary and secondary students build life and career skills, has been recognized by Catalyze Challenge with a $200,000 award that will allow LEAD to launch PeerForward Workforce Model, a locally-based one-year initiative to create a pipeline of young people entering behavioral health and youth-serving careers, and consistent support for the younger students they mentor along the way. Additionally, LEAD will benefit from coaching, mentorship, and technical assistance from Catalyze and its network for the ‘26-27 school year, positioning LEAD’s PeerForward within a national community of career-connected learning innovators whose work informs the broader field. LEAD was among only 31 organizations in the United States to be recognized and awarded a portion of Catalyze Challenge’s Round Five $4 million funding.

“PeerForward is a direct response to a documented regional need. 75 of Ohio's 88 counties are designated mental health professional shortage areas, and the shortage is most acute for young people, with 53 counties having none. With the support from Catalyze Challenge, we will be able to create a meaningful level of exposure to students in 8 school districts that behavioral health & education careers are viable pathways,” noted Riley O’Grady, Founder and Executive Director, LEAD Training. LEAD will work in partnership with Talbert House, 1N5, and NAMI Southwest Ohio, while The National Council for Mental Wellbeing provides national certification, and the University of Cincinnati will serve as an independent evaluator. Eight school districts across Clermont, Warren, and Hamilton counties will host the program, spanning urban, suburban, and rural communities: Goshen, Kings, Winton Woods, Deer Park, Reading, Cincinnati Public Schools, St. Bernard and Little Miami. UC Health and Premier Health will serve as career pathway partners, with Cincinnati Children's, Mercy Health, and TriHealth engaged as additional employer partners.

Key components and projected outcomes include:

  • 100 high school Fellows in paid, credential-aligned roles, identified as juniors and serving through their senior year.

  • Teen Mental Health First Aid certification for every Fellow, alongside QBHS (Quality Behavioral Health Specialist)-aligned behavioral health training delivered with Talbert House through a train-the-trainer approach that builds lasting capacity in participating schools.

  • A 12-point OSAC (Ohio State Apprenticeship Council) pre-apprenticeship credential, recognized statewide, earned at graduation.

  • Weekly near-peer mentoring with a LEAD coach and a school staff member.

  • A youth-led delivery component where Fellows focus on future-readiness, social-emotional, and career exploration programming for middle school learners.

  • A goal of 100% of completers graduating with a documented next step, 50% transitioning into employment, apprenticeship, or postsecondary study, and 75% retention in pathway-aligned roles one year out.

  • Paid participation, transportation assistance, and a full year of post-graduation placement coaching to reduce barriers and improve workforce retention.

The Catalyze Challenge is a national funding collaborative backed by the Walton Family Foundation, the Charles Koch Foundation, the Beth and Ravenel Curry Foundation, and Britebound. Since 2021, it has awarded more than $17 million to over 65 organizations nationwide, reaching more than 63,000 learners.

About LEAD Training

LEAD Training is a Cincinnati-based nonprofit organization that helps students from kindergarten through young adulthood build the skills they need to succeed in life and career. LEAD designs and delivers impactful programs centered on career readiness, life skills and social-emotional learning (SEL) by instilling confidence and helping to create a clearer vision for their future. Through innovative programming such as its High School Workforce Initiative where 2,500 students participated and customized SEL modules and career coaching, LEAD works to guide students towards viable post-secondary paths, whether traditional college, polytechnic education, career or service. LEAD’s programs achieved measurable results in the 2024-25 school year including 93% of Career Quest seniors graduating with a clear career plan, 91% of High School SEL Future Leaders students reporting growth in their social-emotional skills, and a 96% overall satisfaction rate among students. To learn more about how LEAD fuels futures, schools and workforce development, visit https://www.lead-training.org/.

 

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Ann Keeling