Middlestate is a design consultancy dedicated to driving innovation within workforce and education communities by harnessing the power of participation. By engaging communities, educators, and workforce practitioners in the co-design of strategic plans, programs, services, and policies, Middlestate ensures that solutions reflect real needs and lived experiences. Their approach includes conducting compassionate, empathy-based research to understand challenges faced by students and job seekers, and developing human-centered, challenge-based learning models that equip students with real-world skills while addressing meaningful community problems. Key Features and Functionality: - Co-Design: Collaborates with stakeholders to create strategic plans and services that are responsive to community needs. - Compassionate Research: Employs in-depth, empathy-driven research methods to uncover and address barriers in education and workforce systems. - Project-Focused Learning Models: Develops and implements learning models that integrate real-world problem-solving into educational curricula. Primary Value and Solutions Provided: Middlestate addresses the disconnect between workforce and education systems by fostering collaboration and participation. Their services empower communities to influence and transform organizations and systems, leading to more effective and human-centered solutions in education and workforce development.