In community colleges in the United States, graduation rates remain frustratingly low. Students face many challenges, including the financial costs of attending college; the demands of school, work, and family; complex institutional systems; underfunded student support services; and insufficient preparation for college-level work. To address these…

While food insecurity exists in the United States, research has shown it is felt at larger rates among the undergraduate student population. Those colleges with higher numbers of enrolled students of color also have larger numbers of students who are facing food insecurity. The California community college (CCC) system serves a diverse population…

In the United States, the dearth of quality expanded learning opportunities (ELO), such as afterschool and summer programs, has long been recognized as a national concern (DeKanter et al., 2000). The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated this problem, as expanded learning opportunities of all kinds became increasingly limited in spring 2020 (Carver &…

This article describes All Rise, a career and calling circle (CCC) designed to address first-year underrepresented pre-law college students' sense of belonging. The article focuses on how the practice was designed, developed, and evaluated. Although restorative practices such as the circle process have emerged in response to addressing student…

A consistent criticism from the emergent literature on children's career development has been that career-related learning in primary schools has received limited attention. A particular gap in the literature is the application of careers theory applied to pedagogy and employer engagement within primary schools. This article examines an innovative…

To counter tuition and textbook costs for degree-seeking students, a specific pathway to a bachelor's degree in Leadership was developed. The pathway, comprised of partnerships with the high school Leadership Academy at a public high school, community college, and Old Dominion University (ODU), reduced tuition and textbook costs, allowing the…

What if the families of students most impacted by the opportunity gap somehow had the power to organize whatever activities they felt would best help their children succeed? That's the question that began Families with Power/Familias con Poder (FWP), a grassroots organization of low-income students and caregivers in Northampton, MA. Through…

In many high-wage industries, a high school degree no longer prepares students to enter the workforce. By 2020, labor market analysts predict that 65 percent of all jobs will require postsecondary education or training. Though high schools across the Commonwealth seek to prepare students for both higher education and the workforce, too many…