There’s a youth unemployment crisis.

18 to 29 year-olds have the highest underemployment rate since World War II, and the number of college grads working minimum wage jobs is at its highest rate ever. But today’s students are social media natives with the potential to become the most highly self-employed generation in modern history. They just need a little help.

Introducing the Gen z Fund: A bold New Approach to high school education

Over 20 years ago, the Center for Advanced Research and Technology (CART) was founded in the heart of California to provide at-risk high school students a new kind of cutting-edge education. But the world changes quickly and schools should too, so we’re launching the Gen Z Fund to co-create an all new model designed for the future.

We believe students can do more before they graduate — whether that’s leading local causes, finding high wage work, or building the world changing business of their dreams.

Beginning with a pilot to empower CART’s top students with the skills and support they need to transform big ideas into market-leading companies, our goal is to develop a platform to help communities everywhere build stronger local economies by investing in their best and brightest.