Lumina Foundation Announces Second Postsecondary Education Attainment Strategy Cohort

The Lumina Foundation recently announced the second cohort of its community-based postsecondary education attainment strategy. According to Lumina’s news release, the strategy aims to help communities and regions markedly increase the level of postsecondary credentials among local-area residents. The shared endeavor will connect participating cities “with significant technical and planning assistance, data tools, flexible funding, and the ability to customize attainment plans that will best suit each community’s needs and the well-being of its residents.” The 35 selected communities will work with the Lumina Foundation and national experts, through 2016, to develop a plan to meet the strategy’s goal. This connects to the national effort, Goal 2025, which aims to “increase the percentage of Americans with high-quality degrees and credentials to 60 percent by the year 2025.” Adult education providers are encouraged to follow the work of the program’s partners for potential application to their own local-level work.

The foundation will invest approximately $5.6 million in the communities in this second cohort, and more than $13 million total over the duration of the program. Each community will be eligible for $160,000 over the program period of two-and-a-half years, based on goal achievement.

Adding to the 20 cities that were funded in the first cohort, the 35 cities selected for this cohort have already demonstrated progress in advancing their education attainment goals. Their work with Lumina will help expand these efforts. Progress, according to Lumina, “will be measured by credentials earned after high school, including certificates, associate degrees and bachelor’s degrees”.

To learn more about the program, including the list of selected cities and their program contacts, please visit the Lumina Foundation website.  

[Source: OCTAE Connection - July 19, 2014 - Issue 202]