Advancing Innovation in Work and Learning | oct. 7, 2021
Historically Black colleges and universities produce 20 percent of Black college graduates in the United States, even though they account for only 10 percent of all Black students who are enrolled.
Seventy percent of Black doctors and dentists hold HBCU degrees. Half of Black public school teachers. Forty percent of Black Americans who hold seats in the U.S. Congress. Eighty percent of Black judges.
This week, in partnership with 28 HBCUs that will participate in the inaugural year, Strada announced a $25 million investment in a new HBCU Initiative, designed to support the institutions’ success — and extend it.
“Historically, HBCUs were institutions for people who couldn’t go anyplace else,” said Roslyn Clark Artis, president of Benedict College. “But we long ago outgrew that narrative of being the only option for African Americans. We’re a really good option.
“Instead of telling stories about students who wouldn’t have an opportunity otherwise, we started telling stories about how we punch above our weight.”
So what is distinctive about the HBCU experience that other colleges and universities can learn from and emulate?
Students of color see Black professionals in leadership positions at HBCUs.
Most HBCUs surround students with the kind of support they need to succeed in — and complete — college.
Even today, the missions upon which HBCUs were founded generate pride and connect students to a sense of purpose.
INTRODUCING STRADA COLLABORATIVE Strada's network of nonprofit affiliate organizations have joined together to form a new organization, Strada Collaborative, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity. Strada Collaborative is dedicated to empowering learners — and the organizations that serve them — through resources, educational support, and career experiences that enable equitable education and employment pathways. While the four organizations transitioning into Strada Collaborative — CAEL, led by President Earl Buford; Education at Work, led by President Jaime Nunez; InsideTrack, led by President Ruth Bauer White; and Roadtrip Nation, led by President Mike Marriner — will now operate as a single nonprofit, they will continue to do business under their existing names.
WORKSHOP ON PROMISING PRACTICES
Looking for a space to learn and share with colleagues about supporting students who graduated from high school during the pandemic? Join Strada researchers for "Workshop on Promising Practices: Reconnecting Recent High School Grads," a working 75-minute session on steps we can take to reengage young adults who changed or delayed their postsecondary education plans. The workshop will focus on guidance, financial resources, and career preparation. There’s nothing to prepare – just bring ideas for reengaging students and be ready for an interactive session.
BRIDGING EDUCATION-WORKFORCE DIVIDE Interim Strada CEO Tom Dawson shared Strada's vision and role within the education-workforce system on The EdUp Experience podcast, where host Joe Sallustio invites higher education leaders to discuss innovations in the field. “Our experience, our view, is that too many individuals, be they students or adults, fall through the cracks because there isn’t a more seamless pathway between education and employment," Dawson said in the podcast. "Our job here is to identify and then scale the most effective solutions for those individuals.”
SUPPORTS WORKING STUDENTS NEED
Postsecondary institutions can better support students who work to make ends meet while in college, InsideTrack President Ruth Bauer White writes in The Hechinger Report. Accommodating working students can mean offering onsite child care, providing emergency student aid, and providing career-relevant work-study opportunities, she notes. "The need to work may be leading students to the conclusion that college simply isn’t worth the cost — an unacceptable outcome at a time when the value of college is at an all-time high."
MISMATCH BETWEEN WORKERS AND JOBS
Connecting the 8.4 million Americans who are out of work with the 11 million openings won’t be simple. No matter the cause of the mismatch — whether workers are reevaluating their jobs and seeking new careers or lack the skills employers want — they will need to learn new things, Strada Interim CEO Tom Dawson writes for RealClearPolicy: "What workers need, more than ever, are better wayfinding tools — resources like coaching and insights to help guide workers and students along their path, and personalized approaches, like last-mile training programs and apprenticeships, that make the most of the skills workers already bring to the table.”
Lessons Earned
In our podcast, we explore bold ideas to help individuals navigate between learning and earning throughout their lives.
