RFA 32027-00023 Externships for Teachers

The Texas Workforce Commission is soliciting applications under RFA 32027-00023 to establish Externships for Teachers. This program enables local Workforce Development Boards and Institutions of Higher Education to partner with schools, adult education providers, and private sector employers to provide teachers with on-site industry experience. The goal is to help teachers understand real-world applications of lesson plan content and the specific skill sets required by industry, which in turn allows them to develop curriculum that connects classroom instruction to the workplace, ultimately improving student competitiveness in the Texas job market. The grant provides a maximum award of 200,000 dollars per applicant from a total program pool of approximately 2.5 million dollars. Eligible funding includes teacher participation stipends of up to 1,000 dollars for five-day externships or 2,000 dollars for ten-day externships, plus a maximum 500 dollar stipend for curriculum materials. Grantees must ensure that combined leverage contributions equal at least 25 percent of the total funding expended. Applications must be submitted via the TWC Procurement Portal by September 29, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. Central Time, and must include Form A Core Application and Form B Budget Workbook. Awardees are subject to strict compliance requirements, including the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, the Single Audit Act of 1984, and various federal anti-discrimination laws. Key deliverables include formal Letters of Agreement with partners submitted within 90 days of the grant start date, quarterly performance reports, and an analysis of teacher and employer surveys. The program requires that all instruction align with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills standards. Evaluation of applications is based on the quality of the design and its ability to meet program criteria, with a tie-breaking process based on workplan scores and submission timestamps.