Lumina Foundation for Education

Technical assistance: the Foundation provides technical assistance based on nonpartisan research and analyses to stakeholders in the field of post-secondary Education, as well as to policymakers who are tasked with developing policy options related to increasing attainment. Foundation executives and staff regularly provide technical advice and assistance about critical issues such as the state of access to Education beyond high school, the range of programs that have been initiated to increase such access, and efforts to enhance the likelihood of student success. This includes providing briefings and testimony at the request of policymakers on matters within the Foundation's expertise. The Foundation uses nonpartisan research and analyses to provide background and educational information on a wide array of issues affecting postsecondary Education.

Research and publications: the Foundation conducts substantial nonpartisan research and analyses on issues affecting post-secondary Education and makes this research widely available at no charge. The Foundation released its benchmark report, "a stronger nation: learning beyond high school builds american talent," as an online data visualization tool. This report, based on federal data, offers a compelling case for the need to dramatically increase the share of americans with workforce certificates, college degrees, and other high-quality post-secondary credentials. The tool, which was widely shared through media pitching and social media outreach, offers state-by-state analyses of the Education levels of each state's residents, highlighting the work that must be done to achieve educational attainment of 60 percent. The Foundation released two issues of focus magazine, a publication which highlights significant issues facing post-secondary Education.

Conferences and convenings: the Foundation convenes post-secondary Education leaders, policymakers, researchers, and others who are influential and actively involved in efforts to expand access to and success in post-secondary Education, particularly among difficult-to-reach populations such as students of color, adults who delay their pursuit of Education beyond high school, first-generation students, and students from low-income families. These convenings are focused on bringing together stakeholders around a range of topics with the objectives of learning, building, sharing, and acting. Topics covered range from overcoming barriers to post-secondary Education to increasing rates of persistence and completion among students who enroll in college or other post-secondary programs.