Education Design Lab

🎉 We're SO excited to announce the second cohort of the Community College Growth Engine Fellows (CCGE Fellows 2.0)!

🎓 10 Higher Education leaders across 5 states are stepping up to design micro-pathways and ensure learners are equipped with the skills they need for high-growth career opportunities. This work marks a bold step forward in building a future-ready workforce!

🍎 Special thanks to Walmart for their generous support in making this possible!

😃 Meet the Fellows:
Daniel Archer, Nevada System of Higher Education
Natalie Brown, PhD, Nevada System of Higher Education
Andrea J. Crowley, EdD, North Carolina Student Success Center (NC SSC)
Tola Francis-Sanusi, MBA, Marion Technical College, Ohio
Andrew Gardner, North Carolina Community College System
Crystal J., Ohio Association of Community Colleges
Seth Marc Kamen, Ed.D., North Carolina Community College System
Blaise King, Accelerate Mississippi
Tina Moore, Ed.D., Arkansas Division of Higher Education
Kyla Waters, Center for Workforce, Arkansas Community Colleges

🔗 Learn more: https://buff.ly/cIICW5s

🎓 We just wanted to say CONGRATULATIONS to our 24'-26' intern, Breanna Shaw, on being featured in this article and for graduating Mercer University 🥳

"Breanna Shaw, is now helping other student-parents navigate their higher education journeys. In August 2024, she began a two-year internship as a (Student Parent Success) co-designer for Education Design Lab in Washington, D.C.!

'Originally, wasn’t designed with student-parents in mind. I want colleges to see the dedication student-parents have and how we can best support them within their academic journey.'" - Breanna Shaw

📰 Full article written by Andrea Honaker: https://buff.ly/0sLORQG

🎨 THIS is what it looks like to design and equip institutional staff using our human-centered design process. It's SO inspiring to see leaders, partners, and students come together to boldly reimagine what’s possible, with students at the center every step of the way.

💛 We're grateful to our incredible partners Cuyahoga Community College + Forsyth Technical Community College for making this work so impactful.

🎉 A big round of applause to our design community, RuralTogether, for co-hosting the 2025 Rural Summit with Partners for Rural Impact and 150+ rural professionals in 🏔️

✨ Key Highlight: RuralTogether had the chance to hear from young individuals on how Alaska can balance honoring traditions for positive transformation.

🧡 Head to ruraltogether.org to learn more on how YOU can join this community!

💡 Education Design Lab’s Center for Skills Validation is a national hub for research in the emerging field of skills validation.

🚀 It's mission is to design, test, and demonstrate high-quality validation tools and practices that recognize the skills of all learners — especially those skilled through alternative routes (STARs) — and promote equitable access to economic opportunity.

🔗 Learn More: https://buff.ly/SH92azm

💡 " Education Design Lab has become an engine... helping over 75 across 20 states develop micro-credentials over three and a half years.

⚙️ Most recently, [the Lab] worked with a school in to reskill its adult workforce in and . The Lab has also partnered with community college systems in and .

🎓 But... systemic statewide investment in credential upskilling will need to grow." - Rachel Kahn, Senior Director of Community College Growth Engine, Education Design Lab University Business
🔗 :

This bold micro-credential leader is expanding into new territory Community college leaders across Arkansas are calling its armada of micro-credential pathways as a "game-changer" for nontraditional students.

✈️ We'll be at the National Returning Citizens Conference 🥳
Session: Unlocking Talent Through Transferable Skills
📆: Fri. April 11th | ⏰: 2:30 PM - 4 PM ET | 📍: Columbus, Ohio
🔗 https://buff.ly/SQt5ZN1
😃 : Brian Rubin + Camieka Woodhouse-Willis