Research shows a direct correlation between thriving cities and high levels of college-level learning. Regions with robust levels of educational attainment have stronger economies, greater individual earning power, and better quality of life. The Lumina Foundation is actively supporting large-scale efforts in 55 metro regions--to help adults return to higher education, to increase college access and attainment among Latino students, and to give all underserved populations a greater chance for postsecondary success. This issue of "Lumina Foundation Focus" explores the work under way in three of those 55 cities. The first city is Columbus, Indiana, where the organizations comprising the Community Education Coalition have, for nearly two decades, served as a model of cooperation and efficiency in fostering education reform and improving college attainment. The second city is Buffalo, New York, where local leaders of all stripes have put aside their individual agendas to support and sustain a comprehensive package of reforms offered under the banner "Say Yes to Education." The third and final city presented in this issue is Santa Ana, California, where the city motto, "Education First," plays out all along the education pipeline--beginning with an annual outreach effort to kindergarteners on the campus of Santa Ana College. Extra features for this issue can be found on Lumina Foundation's web site--including audio clips from students and community representatives, a story that explores the importance of committed leadership, and a photo slide show featuring Uriel Lopez of Columbus, Indiana, a sophomore engineering student at Purdue Tech who also works full time as an apprentice draftsman at Cummins Inc.