The Lumina Foundation for Education has presented over $18.3 million in grants to help expand Americans’ access to education and train them for success after completing high school.
Many of the 25 organizations awarded grants, which are spread across 10 U.S. states as well as Washington D.C. all fall into one of three of the foundation’s primary interests: Preparing students for success, supporting success, and enhancing productivity.
Some of the groups include Business Innovation Factory, a Providence, Rhode Island group granted $280,000 to monitor student experiences in higher education; Capitol Beat in Raleigh, North Carolina, which was given $10,000 to educate journalists on a national level who cover state governments about finance and productivity matters that influence college access and academic success; and CEOs for Cities in Chicago, Illinois, which was given $240,000 to learn new ways to reduce students’ college costs without sacrificing the quality of education.
Additionally, some groups that fall outside of the three primary interests include The Greenwich Roundtable, Inc. in Cos Cob, Connecticut that was awarded $49,000 to develop and spread an "alternative investment curriculum guide for foundations’ chief investment officers," as well as at $10,000 donation for general operating support to Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, a city beautification organization.
"Lumina’s mission is directed toward a single, overarching big goal- to increase the percentage of Americans with high-quality degrees and credentials to 60 percent by the year 2025," said Jamie Merisotis, president and CEO of the foundation.
The Lumina Foundation for Education is a private Indianapolis-based organization that seeks to increase entrance to post-secondary education in the United States with the goal of increasing the percentage of Americans who attain "high-quality degrees and credentials" to 60 percent by 2025 by addressing " issues that affect access and educational attainment among all students, particularly underserved student groups, including adult learners," according to their website.
