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A shift to skills-based hiring is a good development, but don’t be fooled—the advantage for college-educated workers will continue to grow, Jamie Merisotis writes.

The end-of-year news retrospectives are over, and the “what’s ahead” predictions are wilting faster than New Year’s party flowers. But one significant 2025 milepost got little notice: Generation Z, the world’s largest generation, now makes up more than a quarter of the global labor force.

Community colleges around the country have found new ways to recruit and connect with students, and now they can show off tactics that work.

Matthew Wilson is Lumina’s director of information technology.

In this episode of Sparking Equity, host Lande Ajose explores the critical role higher education can play in addressing the climate crisis while advancing equity. Joined by Eloy Ortiz Oakley, president and CEO of the College Futures Foundation, and Jamie Marisotis, president and CEO of Lumina Foundation, this thought-provoking discussion delves into actionable strategies for colleges and universities to empower underserved communities, foster climate literacy, and turn knowledge into meaningful action. The episode highlights the intersection of climate change, equity, and education—and what leaders, students, and communities can do to shape a sustainable future.

Educational certificates, which have been around for decades, have become increasingly popular among students looking to gain skills to move up in their careers, or switch jobs.

You don’t know the courage it took for your adult students to get into that room, or just to show up virtually, to that classroom. So, try to meet them where they are. See the obstacles that they’ve already overcome. See their goals as strengths. You can turn those strengths from life into strengths in a classroom. But they have to know that you actually care and you want to see them win in life. If they know that you want to see them honestly win in life, then they’re going to buy into what you’re giving. You’ve got to see them as human.

The so-called “enrollment cliff” we’ve been waiting a generation for is nearly here, and we now have clear and detailed projections to help us as we prepare to reach the edge.

Knocking at the College Door: Projections of High School Graduates has been an important resource for policymakers, decision-makers, researchers, and planners in education and workforce development since the first edition was produced in 1979. The 11th edition includes this comprehensive report and interactive data visualizations.

The Million Dollar Community College Challenge team is shining a spotlight on the great work of community colleges around the country. They traveled far and wide to bring you what’s interesting and unique in the two-year space. Often featured as the open access and lower cost option in higher education, those descriptors don’t illustrate the […]

Culturally Sustaining Processes involve a range of practices that acknowledge the different lived experiences of marginalized populations. Historically underrepresented populations may include low-income students, first-generation students, adult learners, students of color, and women in STEM, with students often having intersecting identities that include more than one category of marginalization.

Suppose postsecondary spaces, campuses, curricula, and classrooms (hybrid, virtual, or traditional) are deeply held as bastions of opportunity, growth, and pipelines to economic growth in and for our communities. In that case, we must examine the message of the late bell hooks. How do we facilitate welcome? How have we established ourselves as a place to belong? What are our macro and micro-practices that intercept and dismantle systemic, historic systems of racist, oppressive, structurally assaultive protocols and practices? How do we actively work to facilitate an affirming, invitational community for all populations who enter our hallowed halls?

In the wake of multiple pandemics (including COVID-19 and racial injustice), community college leaders have increasingly sought to be forward-leaning on issues of equity, reflecting a significant step forward in advancing social justice. However, prominent and frequently used frames and approaches, like anti-racist frameworks, may ultimately fall short of producing the type of leadership necessary for producing big systemic change.

Lumina Foundation believes communication has the power to amplify its work by building awareness and deepening understanding of our strategies. The foundation’s communications team wants to aid our partners in sharing lessons from projects.

Higher education has an opportunity to use this moment of extreme stress to pursue genuine, urgently-needed systemic change.