Advancing Innovation in Work and Learning | oct. 21, 2021
Deborah Santiago’s parents always made clear she and her three siblings would go to college. But when she was a high school junior, her father, who served in the U.S. military, relocated to Spain along with the rest of the family — and suddenly, she had to navigate the college journey alone.
“I lived with a third cousin, and I stayed in the States while my parents went to Spain for three years,” Santiago recalled. “I had to figure it out: How do I apply? Where do I choose? How do I pay for it?”
Today, as chief executive officer of Excelencia in Education, Santiago draws on that experience in self-sufficiency as she helps higher education institutions learn to better serve Latino students.
Here are four things Excelencia recommends institutions consider as they try to improve Latino students’ success:
Understand your specific student population. Hispanic students are not monolithic. The majority of Latino college students today are U.S.-born, native English speakers who may not need English language learner services but could need culturally relevant coaching and guidance.
Improve diversity and equity among your faculty. Instructor representation on many campuses does not match or reflect the race, ethnicity, gender, or experience of students.
Focus on wraparound services. Addressing personal as well as academic needs is critical to keeping students in school and on track toward earning their degrees.
Look beyond college completion. Students often need guidance to find internships and jobs in their chosen field, as they study and once they graduate, Santiago said.
THROUGH AND BEYOND COLLEGE COMPLETION Strada announced a $10 million grant challenge aimed at helping higher education institutions launch, test, and scale innovations that improve career and life opportunities after graduation for more students of color as well as first-generation students and those who struggle to afford education. Strada is partnering with the Taskforce on Higher Education and Opportunity to launch the Beyond Completion Challenge.
UPCOMING WEBINAR
Join Strada presenters and panelists for a conversation about the public release of findings from the 2021 Strada Alumni Survey, a nationally representative survey of 3,309 alumni who completed their undergraduate degrees in the past 20 years. Learn how alumni view the value of education in their lives after graduation. Findings highlight equity gaps in these outcomes for Black, female, and first generation alumni — and they also point to the key undergraduate experiences linked to closing those gaps.
NEW COMMUNITY HUB
Roadtrip Nation recently launched its Formerly Incarcerated Community Hub, which helps the formerly incarcerated — and the communities that support them — explore career opportunities. Those who have been incarcerated or are affected by the carceral system know that when tackling reentry, one opportunity can make all the difference. Through stories from others who have been in their shoes, the hub hopes to help them see what’s possible for their futures and connect to the resources they need to thrive.
UPSKILLING HEALTH CARE WORKERS Allied health training provider Futuro Health announced Wednesday early completers from an ambitious new initiative to upskill thousands of working adults for in-demand health care roles. In collaboration with InsideTrack and a network of education providers, Futuro Health engaged a corps of success coaches to help aspiring health care workers balance career training with the complexities of work, family, and personal commitments. Futuro Health is a nonprofit organization with a mission to grow the number of credentialed allied health workers to meet the high demand.
AN EQUITY PARADOX
A new study from CAEL and the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education examined the equity paradox revealed by 2020 research on the benefits of offering credit for prior learning: Black and lower-income adult students received strong boosts to credential completion from CPL credit, but they were the least likely to receive such credit. The new report points to several strategies that postsecondary institutions can take to mitigate those factors and to help ensure credit for prior learning programs are available and accessible to all adult learners.
Lessons Earned
In our podcast, we explore bold ideas to help individuals navigate between learning and earning throughout their lives.
