News & Views posts.
Parenting is hard—and even harder when trying to balance the pursuit of higher education and the demands of a job. That trifecta is enough to bring even the most ardent multitasker to a point of exhaustion.
In a time when millions of people need new skills to fill open jobs across the country, we’re learning more about how educators, employers, and government agencies can work together to help them—and help solve the nation’s critical labor shortage.
California community colleges are joining a new national effort to help more adults of color gain credentials and degrees to close gaps in graduation rates and earnings.
Fall homecoming feels different this year as schools welcome back not only nostalgic grads but also those who left early and want to return to finish their degrees. The warm welcome parallels a new infusion of support for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and for community colleges. These are all driven by factors that reflect old concerns and new.
Expect expansive coverage of the U.N. climate conference (COP26) in the coming days, even though the real news is decades old. The reality of global climate change is all around us, yet many national governments and big polluters lack the courage, the will—sometimes even the desire—to curb greenhouse emissions. Colleges and universities have an essential role to play in helping us reverse course.
Jamie Merisotis has spent most of his 30-plus-year career at the intersection of philanthropy, education, and work. He’s the president and CEO of the Lumina Foundation, a funder with over $1 billion in assets and a mission to increase the proportion of Americans with degrees, certificates, and other high-quality credentials to 60% by 2025.
Last week, the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) announced a partnership with the Lumina Foundation to join the Racial Equity for Adult Credentials in Higher Education (REACH) Collaborative, a national initiative focused on helping Black, Hispanic, Latino, and Native American adults earn credentials. Upon reflecting, I realize how vital this is to the original identity of North Carolina’s community colleges, and how impactful community college education has been for communities like mine, and even my own family.
Lumina Foundation is supporting new work at the intersection of higher education and racial equity by funding HBCUs to identify and eliminate some of the barriers blocking adult students from the education they need for long-term success.
Colorado community colleges will provide more aid and resources for their older students, better track their college success, and create degree programs leading to well-paying jobs, thanks to joining a national network this month.
Lumina Foundation today announced grants totaling almost $2 million to five Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in North Carolina and five other partners committed to ensuring Black adults earn college degrees and other credentials.