Daily Lumina News 030920

What happens when low-income students defy the odds and make it into elite universities? What happens when they are granted the opportunity to study but not also given the means to live?
While the diversification of American universities is no doubt a cause for optimism, celebrating the presence of the disadvantaged in elite spaces feels hollow when we don’t also ensure their physical well-being once they arrive. Today, only a tiny fraction of colleges meet the full financial needs of their students, which means many are doomed to debt or day-to-day survival as tuition prices continue to soar.

With the youth vote expected to be an important factor in the 2020 election cycle, civics teachers are increasingly using current events to help students understand the democratic system—and to be engaged and informed citizens.
In this interview, Stephen Sawchuk of Education Week shares insights about his organization's new project on civics education called "Citizen Z."

McDonald’s is one of the nation’s largest entry-level employers, and like a growing number of businesses, it provides extensive education benefits for front-line workers to improve opportunities for themselves and their families.
In this podcast, Lisa Schumacher of McDonald’s Corp. talks about how the fast-food giant supports workers as they earn and learn through English-language training, money for college, and technology aimed at helping them explore their career options.

Five years ago, Ricardo Rojas had been a successful network systems engineer for a health insurer in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Then he got laid off. Rojas struggled to find steady work. Then came Hurricane Maria. Jobs became even more scarce.
Rojas headed north—way north—to a small Minnesota town 10 miles from Canada and two hours from a Target. Polaris, the Minnesota-based motor-sport manufacturer, wanted workers in a remote part of the state with more jobs than workers.
For Rojas, this was a lifeline. It's also an example of the shifting demographics and cultural adjustments that have changed small-town America in recent decades.