E2E submits grant applications on behalf of the City. In 2018 a grant application to the Lumina Foundation led to Corpus Christi being designated a Talent Hub. As one of 23 cities in the nation, the City earned the designation by meeting rigorous standards for creating environments that attract, retain, and cultivate talent, particularly among today’s students, many of whom are people of color, the first in their families to go to college, and from low-income households. In 2017 the City was awarded a technical assistance grant from the National League of Cities that helped support development of the City’s Education Strategic Plan, and in 2016 a grant was awarded by the Trellis Foundation for Clarifying Pathways Through Collaboration. The grant helped E2E develop education pathways to high-demand jobs, in partnership with Del Mar College, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, and Workforce Solutions of the Coastal Bend.