Technology

The Leon Levine Foundation Awards $3.25M to Expand Career-Connected Learning Across the Carolinas

Published

4 hours ago

June 23, 2026

TLLF to invest in 15 organizations building stronger pathways from the classroom to livable-wage careers as only 31% of North Carolina ninth graders are projected to earn a degree or credential within six years.

CHARLOTTE, N.C., June 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Leon Levine Foundation today announced $3.25 million in grants to 15 nonprofit organizations across North and South Carolina through the inaugural Carolina Career-Connected Learning Challenge, a bold initiative designed to help more students move successfully from education into meaningful, livable-wage careers.

The investment comes at a pivotal moment for students across the Carolinas. In North Carolina, only 31 of every 100 ninth-grade public school students are projected to graduate, enroll in college, and earn a degree or industry-valued credential within six years. The barriers are even greater for low-income and first-generation students. At the same time, AI and other technological advances are rapidly reshaping the workforce, narrowing many traditional entry points into professional careers. TLLF designed the career-connected learning challenge to support organizations demonstrating strong potential to bridge these gaps.

“This initiative reflects the kind of catalytic philanthropy we believe is necessary for the future,” Tom Lawrence, president and CEO of The Leon Levine Foundation, said. “The scale and quality of the response confirmed that there is extraordinary innovation already happening across the Carolinas. We have the opportunity to help shape a more connected, forward-looking approach to education and workforce development that supports underserved Carolinians, employers, and communities alike.”

Launched earlier this year as the Foundation’s first open request for proposals, the challenge sought bold ideas for helping students in grades 7–14 navigate the path from classroom to career. The initiative focused on expanding access to workforce-aligned learning, postsecondary credentials, hands-on employer experiences, and career pathways that can lead to long-term economic mobility in a rapidly changing economy shaped by AI and automation.

The response was overwhelming. The Foundation received 130 submissions from organizations across the Carolinas, invited 32 finalists to the second round, and ultimately selected 15 partners for one-year general operating grants ranging from $150,000 to $300,000.

The selected partners serve urban and rural communities across both Carolinas and support career pathways in high-demand fields, including healthcare, advanced manufacturing, aviation and aerospace, skilled trades, technology, construction, and education.

2026 Carolina Career-Connected Learning Challenge Grant Recipients

North Carolina: Accelerate Buncombe; Guilford Apprenticeship Partners; The Industrial Commons; NAF; Prelude; Road to Hire; The ROC Charlotte; Rural Opportunity Institute; She Built This City.

South Carolina: AMIkids; Digital Promise; Habitat for Humanity of York County; LaunchGVL; Medical University of South Carolina Foundation; South Carolina Technical College System.

The initiative reflects the Foundation’s broader workforce strategy, which focuses on creating clearer, better-defined pathways into careers that provide economic opportunity for underserved Carolinians in a rapidly evolving labor market.

“At a time when the traditional path from education to employment is becoming more uncertain, we have an opportunity to help build something better,” Russ Altenburg, education program director at The Leon Levine Foundation, said. “The organizations selected through this challenge are not simply preparing students for graduation, they are helping young people build the skills, networks, credentials, and real-world experiences that lead to long-term economic mobility. We believe career-connected learning can become one of the most powerful levers for expanding opportunity in our community.”

About The Leon Levine Foundation: Established in 1980 by Leon Levine, founder and former chairman of Family Dollar Stores, Inc., The Leon Levine Foundation empowers underserved Carolinians to be self-sufficient and strengthens Jewish communities. Based in Charlotte, N.C., the Foundation creates impact through grants and investments across North and South Carolina, supporting both long-standing community partners and focused strategic initiatives. The Foundation is on a time-bound mission to strengthen children and families, build strong futures for hardworking adults, and cultivate vibrant Jewish communities. Guided by Mr. Levine’s vision, the Foundation’s philanthropy is anchored in four enduring areas of impact: education, healthcare, human services, and Jewish values. Learn more: leonlevinefoundation.org.

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SOURCE The Leon Levine Foundation

Technology

GCL SI Officially Launches Back-Contact Modules at Intersolar Europe 2026

Published

3 minutes ago

June 23, 2026

MUNICH, June 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — GCL System Integration Technology Co., Ltd. (“GCL SI” or “the Company”) has announced at Intersolar Europe 2026 held from June 23 to 25 in Munich to officially establish back-contact (BC) cell technology as the core strategic pillar of its next-generation photovoltaic roadmap, as a response to the rising demand for high-efficiency, aesthetically driven solutions. It also unveiled the GPC 3.0 full-screen all-black module at one of the most influential solar industry trade fairs worldwide.

As China’s solar sector faces mounting efficiency bottlenecks and increasingly diverse end-market demands, the shift to BC technology is driven by both evolving market needs and the company’s accumulated expertise in passivation and contact techniques.

“BC is the ultimate architecture for crystalline silicon cells,” said GengWeng Huang, Executive Dean of GCL SI’s Cell Research Division. “We’ve already explored TOPCon and HJT extensively, but both are reaching their physical limits. BC is opening a broader window for future efficiency gains.”

GCL SI’s GPC (Graphical Precise-doping Passivation Contact) product line is its flagship BC technology development. GPC 3.0 targets the premium distributed segment of residential rooftops, C&I rooftops, and BIPV-style applications, where full-screen all-black aesthetics, higher energy yield, and stronger reliability are increasingly valued. GCL SI describes GPC 3.0 as a high-efficiency BC-based module designed to deliver greater real-world rooftop value.

Notably, GCL SI confirmed that the first containers of GPC 3.0 modules are already on their way to Europe, marking the beginning of its commercial rollout in the European distributed solar market.

The GPC residential full-screen all-black modules offer a proven benchmark: 475–500 W output, 23.27%–24.05% efficiency, dimensions of 1,800 × 1,134 × 30 mm, a 30-year linear power warranty with 0.35% annual degradation, and a 30-year product warranty. GCL SI has indicated that GPC 3.0 is designed to further enhance both efficiency and reliability beyond this baseline.

According to GCL SI, GPC 3.0 integrates several upgraded technologies including MAX design, advanced passivation, multi-layer gradient dielectric films, GPC metallization, and FBR granular silicon, to boost module efficiency, durability, and suitability across distributed scenarios. The technology offers four core advantages:

Enhanced light harvesting & aesthetics: GPC 3.0’s MAX‑oriented full‑screen design minimizes front‑side visual interruption while expanding light‑receiving area. Combined with multi‑layer gradient dielectric films, it delivers stronger broadband anti‑reflection and improved energy yield under variable rooftop irradiance.Higher conversion efficiency via passivation upgrades: GCL SI’s advanced passivation path reduces surface recombination losses and boosts voltage performance. Mass‑produced GPC cells have achieved an average conversion efficiency of 28.38%, underscoring the company’s BC‑track efficiency trajectory.Lower non‑silicon cost via metallization innovation: GPC metallization is a key lever in the GPC 3.0 upgrade. GCL SI also notes progress in advanced metallization such as 0BB and other silver‑reduction approaches, supporting the industry shift toward lower per‑watt silver consumption and improved cost resilience.Materials consistency & sustainability with FBR granular silicon: Leveraging in‑house FBR granular silicon, GCL SI enhances material uniformity and strengthens its sustainability profile, supporting both performance consistency and lower‑carbon manufacturing, which is increasingly valued in international distributed markets.

Looking ahead, GCL SI is committed to driving the global large‑scale adoption of BC technology to support worldwide carbon neutrality goals. With GPC 3.0 as a strategic cornerstone, the company will continue pushing efficiency boundaries and low‑carbon innovation across distributed solar applications, and to build a cleaner, more resilient energy future.

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SOURCE GCL SI

Technology

Lightedge Achieves AWS Small and Medium Business Competency

Published

3 minutes ago

June 23, 2026

DES MOINES, Iowa, June 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Lightedge, an AWS Premier Partner specializing in managed cloud, hybrid infrastructure, and modernization services, announced today that it has achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Small and Medium Business (SMB) Competency.

The AWS SMB Competency validation recognizes AWS Partners that have demonstrated technical expertise and customer success in delivering solutions tailored to the unique needs of SMBs.

To achieve this specialization, AWS SMB Competency Partners must undergo rigorous technical validation and assessment of their AWS SMB solutions and practices, including review of architecture and SMB customer case study details.

“This new competency designation confirms Lightedge as an expert who understands the unique needs SMBs and further affirms Lightedge’s consistent commitment to providing customer centric solutions,” said James Roarty, Chief Cloud Officer at Lightedge.

“Through our continued work with AWS, Lightedge helps organizations modernize with confidence, connecting critical workloads to cloud innovation while maintaining operational continuity and creating opportunities for growth.”

AWS Competency partners are vetted for architecture quality, proven deployments, and validated case studies, giving business leaders confidence that they are selecting a partner aligned to real-world outcomes.

The AWS SMB Competency further validates Lightedge’s ability to help growing organizations modernize infrastructure, strengthen security, improve operational efficiency, and accelerate cloud adoption with confidence.

This recognition reinforces Lightedge’s broader AWS strategy of helping organizations modernize critical environments, improve operational resilience, and unlock cloud innovation while reducing risk and complexity.

“This competency validates our ability to help SMB customers adopt, operate, and optimize AWS with the same level of expertise, governance, and support we provide across complex enterprise environments.” – Aileen Curtin, Director of Cloud Center of Excellence at Lightedge.

With extensive experience supporting mission-critical environments across financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, and retail, Lightedge helps organizations accelerate value on AWS while reducing risk and operational complexity.

In addition to its AWS SMB Competency designation, Lightedge is an AWS Premier Tier Services Partner, an AWS-validated MSSP, and holds multiple AWS competencies including:

L1 MSSP Security CompetencyDevOps Consulting CompetencyHealthcare Consulting CompetencyMigration and Modernization Consulting Competency

visit AWS Partner Marketplace

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SOURCE Lightedge

Technology

StrongMind to Exhibit at the 2026 National Charter Schools Conference in New Orleans

Published

3 minutes ago

June 23, 2026

Leading virtual education provider will showcase its K–12 digital curriculum and marketing and enrollment services at Booth #659 — and offer attendees a complimentary school marketing analysis

CHANDLER, Ariz., June 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — StrongMind, a provider of K–12 digital curriculum and virtual school services since 2001, today announced it will exhibit at the National Charter Schools Conference (NCSC26), hosted by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, June 24–26, 2026, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. Attendees can find the StrongMind team at Booth #659.

NCSC is the largest national gathering of charter school leaders, educators, board members, and advocates, drawing thousands of attendees each year. At NCSC26, StrongMind will connect with leaders who are building, growing, or scaling virtual charter schools and share the curriculum and services it has refined over more than two decades in online education.

At Booth #659, StrongMind will highlight two core offerings:

K–12 Digital Curriculum — A Quality Matters (QM)-certified, award-winning curriculum built by educators and designed around how students actually learn.Marketing and Enrollment Services — Support that helps virtual and online schools attract and enroll students. Conference attendees can stop by the booth for a complimentary marketing analysis to see how their school’s current marketing measures up.

“For more than two decades, we’ve focused on one thing: helping virtual and online schools deliver an education that works for real students,” said Damian Creamer, Founder and CEO of StrongMind. “NCSC brings together the people shaping the future of public education, and we’re looking forward to sharing what we’ve built — and learning from the leaders driving this movement forward.”

Charter school leaders, educators, and administrators attending NCSC26 are invited to visit Booth #659 to meet the StrongMind team and explore its curriculum and services.

About StrongMind
StrongMind is an education technology company that has been creating digital learning solutions for K–12 virtual and online schools since 2001. The company provides a Quality Matters–certified digital curriculum along with marketing, enrollment, and support services that help schools launch, grow, and scale. StrongMind is headquartered in Chandler, Arizona. To learn more, visit strongmind.com.

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SOURCE StrongMind