Lumina Foundation Recognizes Community College Excellence with Mini-Grant Awards

INDIANAPOLIS, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Lumina Foundation has selected the winners of its mini-grant opportunity through its first-ever Instagram challenge, which aims to tell a better story about community colleges. Seven community colleges have received $50,000 each to enhance their digital outreach and marketing efforts. Through their engaging Instagram reels, these winners showcased the exceptional value and vibrant experiences community colleges offer.

The Winners:

1. Ohlone College, CA
2. Ocean County College, NJ
3. Community College of Beaver County, PA
4. State University of New York (SUNY) Niagara, NY
5. Owens Community College, OH
6. Chaffey College, CA
7. Jefferson State Community College, AL

The Instagram challenge invited community colleges to showcase their unique offerings in a 90-second video, highlighting why their college is the best choice, not just for practicality and convenience, but specifically showcasing #WhatsExcellent about their community college. Lumina received more than 100 reels from large and small public, accredited two-year institutions nationwide.

"For the past two years, Lumina has engaged in a national conversation about understanding and strengthening community college brands," said Mary Laphen Pope, Lumina's strategy officer for participation. "While discussions often focus on challenges such as enrollment declines, success stories about community colleges and their students are rarely highlighted. We aim to change that."

From excellent student services to beautiful campus facilities, heartfelt community engagement, and dynamic classroom experiences, community colleges embody the dreams and aspirations of their communities. Too often, the narrative about who should attend community college and why centers on deficit-based framing that fails to paint a complete picture of the profound impact of a community college education.

Nationally, community colleges have long embraced their open-access mission. While that remains a defining feature, it is just one aspect that makes these colleges special. Community colleges are unique to the areas they serve, building inclusive cultures to support many types of students and offering programs that inspire, create, and set people up for success in their careers and their lives. 

"We were excited to offer this mini-grant opportunity and so impressed by all the outstanding video reels we received. We hope this initiative will help shift the narrative around community colleges and all that they offer," added Laphen Pope.

Lumina invites community colleges to continue sharing their stories and highlighting their excellent work. For more information about the mini-grant challenge and to apply for future opportunities, visit Lumina Foundation's Challenge Page.

About Lumina Foundation

Lumina Foundation is an independent, private foundation in Indianapolis committed to making opportunities for learning beyond high school available to all. We envision higher learning that is easy to navigate, addresses racial injustice, and meets the nation's talent needs through a broad range of credentials. We are working toward a system that prepares people for informed citizenship and success in a global economy.

For Media Inquiries:
Tracy Chen
Director, Media Strategy
Lumina Foundation
[email protected]

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SOURCE Lumina Foundation