Future Plans

08/20/2026

🌟 Employee Spotlight: Tiffany Piko

We're proud to celebrate Tiffany Piko, Future Plans Region 2 Lead, on being selected for the Ohio Excels Education & Workforce Policy Fellowship! This prestigious opportunity recognizes her dedication to supporting students, schools, and communities across Southeast Ohio.

Through this fellowship, Tiffany will collaborate with leaders from across the state to help shape education and workforce solutions that create lasting impact.

Join us in congratulating Tiffany on this well-deserved achievement! 🎉

📖 Read more about Tiffany's journey and fellowship opportunity here: https://futureplans.org/region-lead-tiffany-piko-named-to-ohio-excels-education-workforce-policy-fellowship/

08/17/2026

We’re honored to share that Future Plans has been named one of Crain’s Cleveland Best Places to Work in Ohio for 2026 for the second year in a row!

This recognition means so much because it reflects the heart of who we are: a dedicated family of employees committed to one another, to the people we serve, and to the communities we call home.

At Future Plans, our culture is rooted in collaboration, trust, and shared purpose. Our team works side by side to achieve the best outcomes for individuals and communities, always staying deeply connected to our mission and vision. Future Plans believes everyone deserves the chance to embrace their strengths and potential to create the life they deserve, and we are committed to ending poverty one individual at a time by helping people discover their greatness, launch meaningful careers, and build brighter futures.

Read more about what this award means and the work we do here: https://futureplans.org/future-plans-named-one-of-crains-cleveland-best-places-to-work-in-ohio-for-2026/

This award belongs to every member of our team whose passion, creativity, and commitment bring that vision to life every day. Together, we are building hope, strengthening communities, and proving what is possible when people work with purpose.

Thank you, Crain’s Cleveland, for this incredible honor. We are proud to be recognized again among Ohio’s best places to work!

08/12/2026

What happens during a Future Plans coaching session?🤔

Recently, Megan (right), one of our Future Plans coaches, led a sample coaching session at Washington State College of Ohio with College President Dr. Sara Parker (left). During the session, Meghan demonstrated how coaches help participants dive deeper into their assessment results, better understand their strengths and interests, and explore career pathways that align with who they are.
Washington State College of Ohio - Marietta, OH

Coaching is Step 2 in the Future Plans five-step process and plays a critical role in turning assessment results into meaningful career insights and action.

Want to learn more about how coaching helps students connect their results to future opportunities?

Visit our Coaching resources here: 🔗 https://futureplans.org/toolkit/future-plans-video-library/

08/07/2026

📣 We Need Your Support!

Future Plans has the opportunity to present at SXSW EDU, one of the nation's leading conferences for education, workforce development, and innovation. It's a chance to share how we're helping students, job seekers, and communities discover meaningful career pathways, overcome barriers, and build stronger futures.

Now we need your help to get there. Click here: https://tinyurl.com/2nfnckr2

✅ Vote for our proposal
✅ Share this post with your network
✅ Help us bring this conversation to a national stage

Every vote helps elevate solutions that are transforming lives, strengthening communities, and expanding opportunity for those who need it most.

You'll need to create a quick profile first, but it only takes a minute. And if you believe everyone deserves the opportunity to discover their strengths and pursue meaningful work, we'd be grateful for your support.

Thank you for standing with us and helping showcase what's possible when people are connected to purpose, education, and opportunity. 💙

07/28/2026

Too often, conversations about workforce development focus on producing more talent. But what if the real challenge is creating systems where talent can thrive?

In a recent EDU Café Podcast conversation, our Executive Vice President of Social Enterprise and Strategy, Christa Krohn, and our VP of Community and Advocacy, Dan Leffingwell, joined Nick Moore and Letha Pugh to explore how stronger connections between education, employers, and communities can unlock greater economic opportunity for learners and workers alike.

The discussion challenges us to move beyond isolated programs and think about how we can build more connected systems—ones that recognize that talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not always equally accessible.

Thank you, LEAP Innovations, for amplifying this important conversation and helping advance the dialogue around education, workforce development, and economic mobility.

📖 Read the blog: https://www.nextgenlearning.org/articles/designing-economic-opportunity-talent-gap
🎙️ Listen to the podcast: https://share.transistor.fm/s/7a069c4c

Education, workforce, and policy leaders argue that the "talent gap" is actually a systems gap and opportunity doesn't just happen, it has to be designed.

07/27/2026

Ready to invest in yourself?👏

Whether you're looking for a new job, advancing your career, or simply building confidence with technology, Future Plans' FREE 8-week Workforce Readiness Program can help you take the next step.

✅ Online learning from home
- Must have Microsoft installed on your computer OR computers will be avaliable onsite at Dragonfly Village
✅ No cost to participate
✅ Starts August 3, 2026

Only 30 spots are available, so don't wait!
Register now: https://tinyurl.com/353y296s

07/27/2026

We don't often think about who makes our clothes. We should.

We're proud to introduce We Make Your Clothes, a new documentary series following the people building something remarkable in Appalachia: meaningful jobs, skilled work, and new pathways to opportunity through American garment manufacturing.

This isn't just a story about clothing.

It's a story about work, dignity, perseverance, and the people proving that communities often defined by economic hardship deserve to be defined by their talent, resilience, and potential.

Through an episodic documentary series, We Make Your Clothes follows the real-time effort to build a next-generation model of domestic manufacturing through Hocking Hills Garment Center and the people making it possible—from workers and trainers to farmers and community leaders.

Produced and directed by Erin Harper. Executive produced by Future Plans.

🎬 🎥 Follow along with "We Make Your Clothes" as we share updates from production and introduce you to the people behind the story.

07/23/2026

🤔Think you need to be a "tech person" to learn AI and digital tools? Think again.

Our FREE 8-week Workforce Readiness Program is built for beginners and focuses on real-world skills you can use right away, including workplace communication, Microsoft 365, AI fundamentals, customer service, and interview preparation.

Attend from the comfort of your home virtually or join us in person at Dragonfly Village in Brown County.
📅 Starts August 3, 2026
💻Must have Microsoft installed on your computer

Don't wait, reserve your spot today!
🔗https://tinyurl.com/353y296s

07/20/2026

Last week, our team gathered in Columbus for the futureplans.org all-staff retreat, a valuable opportunity to connect, learn, and strengthen our shared mission.

✨ Highlights from our all-staff retreat include:

• 🤝Thought-provoking sessions and mission-focused discussions on how to best serve our communities.
• 🎯Strategizing on ways to strengthen the support we provide.
• 🌱A renewed commitment to ending poverty one individual at a time and helping people build brighter futures through opportunity and support.

We left Columbus feeling inspired by the work being done across our organization and energized for the road ahead to help individuals reach their potential! 🌟

07/16/2026

🚀 Walk in curious. Walk out with a resume, a credential, and a plan.

Future Plans is offering a FREE 8-week AI Literacy & Workforce Readiness Training Program designed to help adults (18+) build in-demand workplace skills and prepare for new career opportunities. Participants will gain experience with AI and technology tools, strengthen communication and interview skills, and develop a personalized career plan.

💻 No computer? No problem! A computer will be available for participants to use at Dragonfly Village during the training.

💻 Planning to participate remotely using your own computer? Microsoft Office must be installed on your device.

📅 Program begins August 3, 2026
🔗 Register today: https://tinyurl.com/353y296s