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What is LYFT?
Launch Your Future Today (LYFT) is a rural CTE pathway initiative to rebuild career and technical education (CTE) in southwest and west central MN, funded through a state-wide $3 million Rural CTE Consortium Grant passed by the Minnesota Legislature.
LYFT funding is available to high schools (and their partners) to develop shared CTE courses and programs ... with the goal that every secondary student in the region gains marketable skills through meaningful CTE courses and opportunities that lead to further education and careers that match our region's labor market needs.
Read the LYFT Flyer
News & Events
Latest News
The 2025 Southwest Minnesota Career Expo gave high school students a firsthand look at the wide range of career and education options available throughout the region. Held September 23 and 24, the event took place at Minnesota West Community & Technical College in Worthington and at the Red Baron Arena in Marshall.
We believe every student should have the opportunity to explore, experience, and engage in career-connected learning. From business tours and field trips to job shadows and internships, these experiences help students connect classroom learning with real-world opportunities.
For some students, physical limitations can make those experiences difficult to access. That is why the Tow & Go Program, powered by The Action Foundation and supported by SWWC and LYFT Career Pathways, is helping remove those barriers.
At Hutchinson High School, the TigerPath Academies are reimagining education by connecting students directly to the world of work. Through small learning communities focused on career paths, students explore real opportunities while developing skills that matter. TigerPath helps students discover what they enjoy, what they excel at, and the kind of future they aspire to, before making significant decisions about college or careers. And if students change their minds? That’s encouraged. TigerPath makes it easy to switch paths and try something new, offering everything from industry-recognized credentials to college credit opportunities. It’s education built for the real world.
The Medical Careers Program in Southwest Minnesota is more than just a career exploration course. Thanks to a LYFT Career Pathways grant and strong local partnerships, students from Adrian, Hills-Beaver Creek, Edgerton, Luverne, and Pipestone high schools are gaining valuable real-world experience that builds both skills and character.
At LYFT Career Pathways, we believe that students in southwest and west central Minnesota deserve opportunities to explore their futures in meaningful, hands-on ways. That’s why we’re excited to highlight an incredible resource available to schools and communities: the Career Exploration Kits from the SWWC Service Cooperative.
These career exploration kits are designed to help students gain practical, hands-on experience in more than 40 different career fields, ranging from welding, agriculture, and health care to accounting, childcare, and the trades. Each kit contains the tools, materials, and activities needed to give students a taste of real-world tasks. It’s about turning curiosity into confidence and helping students envision where their skills and interests could take them.
On Wednesday, May 7, 2025, nearly 200 eighth-grade students from Redwood County participated in the annual Career Institute: Technology & Trades on the Prairie (TTOP), held at the Redwood Area Community Center. This highly engaging, hands-on event brought together employers, educators, and community partners, including LYFT Career Pathways, to offer students an unforgettable introduction to technology and trades career exploration in southwest Minnesota.
Upcoming Events
December
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Lakeview School, Cottonwood
Featured Projects
Learn more about some of the projects funded by LYFT Career Pathways by clicking the images.
![Intro to Law Enforcement at Redwood Valley]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1704922581/lyftpathwaysorg/o9i2ervogrmfxknrxw8y/MallofAmerica2featured.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1704922581/lyftpathwaysorg/o9i2ervogrmfxknrxw8y/MallofAmerica2featured.jpg","width":512}])
A partnership between Redwood Valley High School, Minnesota West Community and Technical College, and Redwood Falls Police Department has received a $15,000 LYFT Pathways Innovation award to develop an intro level course with hands-on opportunities for students.
![Tiger Cafe at Marshall High School]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1704922329/lyftpathwaysorg/xquulnxvbtziq1cbfidz/tigercafessfeatured.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1704922329/lyftpathwaysorg/xquulnxvbtziq1cbfidz/tigercafessfeatured.png","width":486}])
A partnership between the Marshall High School and Mainstay Coffee has received a $14,879 LYFT Pathways Innovation award that will provide pre-employment skills to their students to help prepare them for independent employment and career opportunities after high school.
![Adrian Technology Integration Industrial Programs]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1702914791/lyftpathwaysorg/ffll5i6hbjseefhiybq3/Welding.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1702914791/lyftpathwaysorg/ffll5i6hbjseefhiybq3/Welding.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1702914791/lyftpathwaysorg/ffll5i6hbjseefhiybq3/Welding.jpg","width":800}])
A partnership between the Adrian High School, Joens Woodworking, Veld Lumber, and Kruse Welding has received a $15,000.
![Career Connector North PIC]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1702915698/lyftpathwaysorg/hhj0vkv5qkzwx3m2ngh9/CareerConnector.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1702915698/lyftpathwaysorg/hhj0vkv5qkzwx3m2ngh9/CareerConnector.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1702915698/lyftpathwaysorg/hhj0vkv5qkzwx3m2ngh9/CareerConnector.jpg","width":799}])
A partnership between Southwest Minnesota Private Industry Council (PIC), several school districts and employers from Big Stone, Chippewa, Lac qui Parle, Lyon, Redwood, and Yellow Medicine counties.
![Career Navigator - Somali Youth Engagement]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1702916044/lyftpathwaysorg/zsetjexmkuvunmqs1egq/CareerNavigatorSomali.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1702916044/lyftpathwaysorg/zsetjexmkuvunmqs1egq/CareerNavigatorSomali.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1702916044/lyftpathwaysorg/zsetjexmkuvunmqs1egq/CareerNavigatorSomali.jpg","width":800}])
A partnership between Central Minnesota Jobs and Training Services (CMJTS), Willmar Public Schools, Community Inclusion Center (CIC), and several local employers.