TEXAS – JANUARY 21, 2026 – Educate Texas, an initiative of Communities Foundation of Texas, has received a multi-year, $500,000 grant from Trellis Foundation to advance the work of its Texas College Access Network (TxCAN) and Policy and Advocacy team. The two-year investment will support collaborative efforts among school districts, colleges and universities, and employers to increase student access and readiness for purposeful careers.
The partnership builds on a long-standing relationship between Educate Texas and Trellis Foundation, both of which share a commitment to ensuring that every student in Texas can earn a credential or degree that leads to a living wage and thriving communities.
“The Texas College Access Network (TxCAN) and the Policy and Advocacy team at Educate Texas are proven leaders across the state, bringing together school districts, colleges and universities, and employers to achieve the shared goal of increasing student access and readiness for a purposeful career,” said Kristin Boyer, President & CEO of Trellis Foundation. “Trellis Foundation is proud to continue our long-standing partnership at this critical time for Texas students.”
The $500,000 grant, awarded through 2027, will expand the reach of TxCAN and Educate Texas’s Policy and Advocacy initiatives to strengthen postsecondary counseling and advising, improve credential attainment, and better align education and workforce systems statewide.
Through this investment:
“Our shared work with Trellis Foundation is rooted in the belief that all Texas students deserve an education that empowers them to earn a good living, find a purposeful career, and realize bold dreams for themselves and their communities,” said Kerri Briggs, Ph.D., Executive Director of Educate Texas. “This partnership strengthens the systems that make that vision possible.”
This partnership directly supports Texas’s Building a Talent-Strong Texas plan, which aims to increase the number of Texans completing credentials of value that lead to meaningful careers.
For more information about Educate Texas and its work to increase college and career readiness across the state, visit edtx.org.
About Educate Texas
Educate Texas, an initiative of Communities Foundation of Texas exists to help solve the biggest challenges facing public education. Its vision is for all Texans to have the education they need to earn a sustainable living wage, find a purposeful career, and realize aspirations for themselves, their families, and their communities.
The dynamic education team works collaboratively with partners through programs and policies to ensure every Texas student is prepared in school, the workforce, and beyond. Since 2003, Educate Texas has partnered with school districts, institutions of higher education, businesses, community and civic organizations, state agencies, and policymakers to strengthen the public and higher education systems for all Texas students. Learn more at edtx.org. Follow us on Facebook, X, or LinkedIn.
About Trellis Foundation
Trellis Foundation is a grant-making public charitable organization focused on improving postsecondary attainment for low-income students and students of color in Texas. Our approach is highly collaborative and prioritizes catalytic investments, focused on changing or informing change to policy, practice and systems. Learn more at trellisfoundation.org