May 11, 2026: The Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) and Backrs are thrilled to jointly introduce to their networks a new partnership that will combine IEL’s national network and leadership footprint with the scalable postsecondary and career support models provided by Backrs to strengthen the impact of Community Schools, Districts, and Nonprofit partners.
School leaders are being asked to deliver stronger postsecondary and career outcomes under increasing constraints including unsustainable advising ratios, counselor burnout and limited capacity, curriculum that does not translate into durable outcomes on its own, rising expectations for career readiness and workforce alignment, and rapid AI-driven change that increases urgency but often lacks clear application.
Backrs has developed a unified solution that combines AI-powered technology, data-backed curricula, and expert human coaching to enable educators to deliver personalized, outcomes-driven counseling at scale.
The platform’s tools and resources reframe student advising around life goals, vs. compliance milestones, driving measurable outcomes for students by powering post-secondary advising and career connected learning aligned to the realities of the modern economy. The tools provided by Backrs also connect students to a network of peers, professionals, and resources that cater to their unique identity and goals. Paired with IEL’s 61-year old history of working to change systems through people, this partnership will equip educators with the tools they need to position young people for success in tomorrow’s workforce.
This initiative will:
- Bring the Backrs system to more districts, non-profits, and collegiate partners: Rather than one-size-fits-all programming, the Backrs team and IEL’s commitment to adaptive practices provide an approach that works for any team’s unique needs.
- Increase engagement and impact: By adding Backrs as an approach to service needs for students, IEL can provide access to this solution to our network members and partners.
- Scale effective solutions: Backrs delivers a comprehensive suite of supports designed to enable and enhance high-touch advising. These include an advanced AI system for educators and students, life aspirations and readiness assessments, cutting-edge college admissions and job search tools, propriety outcomes data on schools, majors, and career paths, customizable digital networks counselors can use for batch advising, and expert-vetted resources for students.
- Support student agency and access: Backrs’ tools help students work backwards from the future they envision for themselves to define their postsecondary and career goals. Then, it anchors their entire experience in those goals, adapting its tools and content to suit each student’s unique path to success.
- Connect students to more opportunities: Backrs goes beyond classroom walls to foster relationships with network professionals in the industries students are interested in and provides individualized supports to help them pursue their career and life aspirations.
- Create social capital: Often the missing link for children and young adults looking to propel forward after high school, Backrs expands students’ social capital through its network of alumni and counselors, and now IEL’s network members and partners.
“Our team at IEL is excited that our work with Backrs will help leaders better support youth on their journey to post-secondary success. Working closely with communities across our network, these pathways will now be accessible,” said Kwesi Rollins, Interim President of IEL. “IEL and Backrs are all about removing barriers to success for students. The customized approach this system provides will help us reach more underserved youth.”
“IEL has been a trusted leader in this space for decades, and we’re delighted to team up to advance their mission of empowering educators to position young people to achieve their school, work, and life goals,” commented Andy Bobowski, Co-Founder of Backrs.
The IEL and Backrs teams invite their joint networks to attend an upcoming webinar on May 19th: “Why College & Career Readiness Efforts Stall and What Actually Scales.” In this session, IEL and Backrs will unpack why despite growing investments, many college and career readiness efforts fail to produce durable outcomes, and share a more scalable approach grounded in student aspiration, career alignment, data, and smarter advising systems.
About Backrs
Backrs is a unified academic, career, and life success platform that empowers students with the coaching they need to earn high-value credentials and secure high-quality jobs. Combining cutting-edge technology with an ecosystem of professional and workforce partners, Backrs enables educators to deliver personalized postsecondary and career development support to students – affordably and at scale.
About the Institute for Educational Leadership
Since 1964, IEL has championed the need for leaders at all levels to work together to address the needs of children, youth, and families. IEL’s programs continue to define national and state policies in education and workforce development, enabling leaders to build collaborative strategies that get results, and guiding practitioners to implement quality practices, leading to better outcomes for our young people.
Learn more at https://iel.org/.