Good evening!
 
The old adage of “in like a lion...out like a lamb…” may not be true this spring in Colorado. In addition to my arm aching from my second vaccine (so grateful!), my snow shoveling strength is waning. I am hopeful that winter really starts to die down and we can ease into a beautiful springtime season -- soon!
 
I wanted to highlight a few opportunities for engagement across the state, whose deadlines are approaching, but also create a great chance for organizations and thought leaders to flex their collaboration muscles.
 
As I shared last week, ZOMA Capital announced the SyncUp Colorado Challenge, which is a $5 million seed and scale prize pool for breakthrough partnerships and solutions that answer the question: “How might we accelerate education-to-employment partnerships that support Coloradans ages 12-24 to make informed choices and obtain job relevant skills to pursue quality careers?”
 
Teams must submit a brief application explaining their partnership and solution and how it will positively impact young Coloradans by June 1, 2021. You can find more information about eligibility, application criteria, and key dates here. I hope many of you will take advantage of this opportunity to collaborate and submit a proposal.
 
Second, Techstars Startup Week: West Slope (#WestSlopeBestSlope) has announced that they are collecting ideas for their 2021 program, which takes place July 12-16, 2021. The event brings together entrepreneurs, local leaders and friends to build momentum and opportunity around the Western Slope’s unique entrepreneurial identity.
 
If you are interested in submitting a proposal for the 2021 session, ideas are due by May 21 and submitting organizations will be notified in early June. More details are here.
 
All my best for a great week ahead,
Alison
 
What We’re Reading
 
Activating Community Partnerships Helps Meet Local Workforce Needs: While the pandemic worsened unemployment, the gap between workforce needs and the available skilled workers existed long before. Black, Latino, and low-income individuals are especially disadvantaged in finding solid pathways from education to career. One way to remedy this mismatch is to use nonprofit civic groups, economic development agencies, and local businesses and educators to connect learners with jobs and provide individuals with support. [The Hechinger Report]
 
Aurora Community College Seeks New President: The Community College of Aurora has named three final candidates in its search for the next campus president. Current president Betsy Oudenhoven will retire at the end of July after serving the college for ten years. The finalists include Mordecai Brownlee, vice president for student success at St. Phillips College in San Antonio Texas; Stephanie Fujii, vice president of academic affairs at Scottsdale Community College in Arizona; and Michelle Schutt, vice president of student services at the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls. Colorado Community College System President Joe Garcia will choose the final candidate after providing feedback to them in meetings held this week. [The Sentinel]
 
University of Colorado Boulder President Censured: Last week, the University of Colorado Boulder student government voted to censure President Mark Kennedy for “failed leadership with respect to diversity, equity, and inclusion.” This occurred two weeks before the campus faculty assembly is set to vote on the issue. The legislative council of the student government stated that the Chancellor had racist or problematic remarks, showed insensitivity and and disrespect to the Indigenous community, did not show solidarity towards the LGBTQIA+ community on campus, and refrained from taking action on campus issues affecting international students and students of color. The student resolution will take effect when it receives signatures by two of the three student body presidents or when six days pass without action from the president. [The Daily Camera]
 
Colorado Bill Would Change Public Release of Executive Finalist Names:  Colorado law requires that school districts and public colleges release the names of individuals they have chosen as finalists for executive positions 14 days before making a formal job offer. However, there has been confusion about whether this includes only the top candidate, or if public entities should make public all the individuals who made it to the final round of the interview process. House Bill 1051 would repeal a portion of public records law that labels individuals as finalists if there are three or fewer who meet the minimum job qualifications. The bill passed the House with bipartisan support and is headed to the Senate. If the bill is passed, institutions only have to publicize one finalist for their executive position(s). [Chalkbeat]
 
Institutions Use Federal Higher Education Funds to Support Employees, Students: CARES Act funding provided higher education with $14 billion in funds, and the recent American Rescue Act provided another $40 billion for higher education. At Colorado Mountain College (CMC), students received free summer tuition before the campus received their CARES Act fund distribution. According to CMC President Dr. Carrie Besnette Hauser, the campus is on track to graduate its largest class in history. In addition, CMC also offered its employees a remote learning stipend to support needed technology upgrades and other needs associated with working remotely. Georgia State University used their student data to identify individuals facing economic hardship, allowing them to provide financial support through over 40,000 grants. The full webinar, hosted by Whiteboard Advisors on April 19 can be found here. [Diverse Issues in Higher Education]
 
Hispanic-Serving Institutions Support Growing Hispanic Undergraduate Population: Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) represent only 17% of U.S. public and nonprofit colleges, but they serve 67% of Hispanic and Latino undergraduates. To reach HSI status, a college needs to have a quarter or more Hispanic students. Hispanic enrollment in higher education is expected to continue on an upward trend, and currently 300 additional institutions are approaching the HSI status. Community colleges represent the largest portion of HSIs. In order to serve Hispanic students, colleges need to ensure that their environments are culturally responsive and that their institutions are focused on issues that affect the Hispanic community, such as inequity in earnings potential. [EdSurge]
 
FAFSA Completion Declines From Previous Year: The Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) recently launched a campaign to increase Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) applications in the state, with a goal to reach a 52% FAFSA completion rate. The current completion rate in Colorado is 35%, but districts that reach 70% completion will receive a special certificate and recognition from Governor Polis. According to the National College Achievement Network (NCAN), seniors who complete the FAFSA are 84% more likely to immediately enroll in postsecondary education. Low-income students and students of color especially stand to benefit from completing the FAFSA. NCAN showed that this year, FAFSA completion among the graduating class declined from the previous year by 8%, with only 45% of the class of 2021 completing the form. [BoardHawk]
 
What We’re Watching
 
Unemployment and Income Verification for Workers Webinar: On Tuesday, April 27, join Steady Government Solutions and the Workers Lab at 11am MT as they discuss how Steady is working to improve the delivery of unemployment benefits to workers. Both organizations work with state departments of labor. Steady Government Solutions founder Adam Roseman and the Workers Lab founder Dr. Carmen Rojas will talk with JP Morgan’s vice president of philanthropy, Monique Baptiste about the challenges of verifying income from 1099s and mixed earner work. To register for the webinar, visit this link.
 
Reimagining Black Student Achievement & Economic Success: On Tuesday, May 4 at 1pm MT, GSV will host a critical discussion on structural and systemic challenges facing Black students today. The conversation will include John King, former U.S. Secretary of Education and Maryland gubernatorial candidate; Austan Goolsbee, renowned U of C economist and President Obama’s Chair of the Council of Economic Advisors and Chancellor Jual Salgado of the City Colleges of Chicago for a virtual panel moderated by Beth Swanson, CEO of A Better Chicago. Register for the event here.
 
Webinar on Latino Student Success in Higher Education: On Wednesday, May 19 at 1:30pm MT, join ACT and Univision for a 75-minute informational webinar titled, “Making College Success a Reality for Latino Students.” The session will kick off with ACT CEO Janet Godwin and will be moderated by Univision’s Pamela Silva, featuring Dr. Deborah Santiago, co-founder and CEO of Excelencia in Education and Dr. Hector Montenegro, senior district consultant for The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). The panelists will discuss current data on Latino student enrollment, strategies to improve student success, and the need for social and emotional learning, as well as current national college enrollment data, graduation rates, and practices that support Latino students. To register for the webinar, visit this link.
 
Better Money, Better World Podcast: A new podcast, ‘Better Money, Better World” provides a unique look into the fast-growing world of impact investing. Hosted by impact investing expert Daniel Pianko, the podcast explores stories of Impact Capital Managers (ICM) members, their limited partners and the companies they are scaling. Each weekly episode features guests impacting impact fund managers, general partners and other impact investing innovators. To subscribe, you can sign up here.
 
Opportunities We’re Following
 
New Future of Work Newsletter Launched in Colorado: In Colorado, the Office of the Future of Work (OFOW) exists to explore and prepare for programs and policies that support an equitable economy. The office focuses on worker protections and benefits, identifying tools and resources for individuals, employers, and communities, and understanding the future of work for populations that may be left behind in the current economy. The OFOW has recently launched a new monthly newsletter that will include updates on research, events, and webinars related to the future of work, an effort led by Director, Katherine Keegan. To read this month’s newsletter, visit this link. To sign up for the newsletter, click here. 
 
New Research Assistant Position Open: The Postsecondary National Policy Institute (PNPI) is hiring a research associate. PNPI is the leading source of professional development for current and prospective policymakers who work on higher education issues, and the organization is seeking a research associate who can assist with creating and facilitating PNPI’s virtual course options, support design and implementation efforts for extended learning options provided to PNPI alumni, and help develop PNPI’s resource library. Compensation varies based on individual skill level and experience. To learn more about the position and necessary qualifications, visit this link.
 
Call for 2021 Proposals on Higher Education for the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association: The State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) is accepting proposals for their 2021 conference. Proposals must be received by April 30 to be considered for this year’s convening, which will be held November 8-11 either in Washington, D.C. or virtually. To read more about potential proposal themes and guidelines for submission, visit this link.
 
Call for 2021 Proposals for National College Attainment Network (NCAN): This year’s NCAN conference is titled, “Rebuilding for Postsecondary Equity: Rising to the Challenge”. NCAN has published 10 major content areas that can be used as a guide for proposal topics. They have also published their preferred hot topics, including 1) the future of higher education, 2) diversity, equity and inclusion, and 3) embedding equity in policy change. Proposals are due by April 30, 2021. To read more and to submit a proposal, visit this link.