- Workforce needs for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
- Winner of Lumina Foundation’s $1M branding prize
- Showcasing programs that foster Latino student success
Workforce needs for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
The White House will hold a virtual briefing next week to discuss the workforce development needs of implementing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, especially the role of community colleges.
The briefing on August 25 will cover how community colleges can engage in the Biden administration’s Talent Pipeline Challenge to spur efforts to recruit, train and support the workforce needed to implement the law, according to a White House release.
The event will include teams from the White House — including the Office of the First Lady, the White House Infrastructure Implementation Team and the Domestic Policy Council — as well as representatives from the departments of Education, Labor, Transportation, Commerce and Energy.
Questions may be submitted ahead of the briefing through the registration link.
Colleges and other stakeholders interested in the Talent Pipeline Challenge can complete a survey to join. Email questions related to the challenge.
Winner of Lumina Foundation’s $1M branding prize
California’s Madera Community College is the winner of Lumina Foundation’s Million Dollar Community College Challenge, which comes with a $1 million purse.
Lumina created the program to support community colleges’ efforts to strengthen their brands and to strengthen campus-to-community connections to encourage more adult learners to enroll. Each of the other nine college finalists will each receive $100,000 plus technical assistance.
All college applicants submitted a brief video that highlighted their marketing and outreach efforts. Madera’s clip featured graduate Marciela Marsa, an immigrant and mother of three who didn’t speak English when she enrolled. Speaking in Spanish with English in closed captions, Marsa described how instructors and counselors helped guide her through college process.
“I was a person looking for opportunities,” she said in the video.
Marsa now works as an office assistant and is working toward a bachelor’s degree in business.
Showcasing programs that foster Latino student success
Excelencia in Education on Wednesday announced the finalists for its 2022 Examples of Excelencia, which aims to promote evidence-based practices improving Latino student success in higher education.
The 20 evidence-based programs include four from community colleges:
- Connect4Success at Miami Dade College
- Educational Opportunity Fund Program at County College of Morris (New Jersey)
- Engineering Program at Wright College at Wilbur Wright College, City Colleges of Chicago
- Title III: Leadership, Excellence and Academic Preparation in STEM (LEAPS) Program at Laredo College (Texas)
Excelencia, which since 2005 has been holding the recognition to elevate what works for Latino student success, will announce the winners in the four categories (associate level, baccalaureate level, graduate level and community-based organizations) on September 29.
Excelencia also this year is recognizing 10 Programs to Watch from four states. “They are up-and-coming programs, that have positively impacted the success of their Latino students, and are growing their evidence of effectiveness,” according to a release.
The associate-level programs include:
- Pathway to Law School at Santa Ana College (California)
- First Year Experience Program at Long Beach City College (California)
- Puente Project at Sacramento City College (California)
