Communities in Indiana, Florida, and Ohio join 22 U.S. Talent Hubs

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Jan 22, 2020, 06:00 ET

INDIANAPOLIS, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Four communities with demonstrated success in growing and attracting talent are the latest to receive the Talent Hub designation from Lumina Foundation in partnership with Kresge Foundation.

Cleveland, Northeast Indiana, Southwest Florida, and Tampa Bay have been recognized for their commitments to substantially increasing education and training after high school among residents from all backgrounds.

These communities, along with 22 others selected in 2017 and 2018, met rigorous standards for creating environments that cultivate, attract, and retain talent, particularly among today's students, many of whom are adults, Black, Hispanic, or Native American, students from low-income households, or the first in their families to go to college.

"Talent Hubs are not just trying to be some of the best places to live, work, and learn," said Jamie Merisotis, Lumina's president and CEO. "These communities also are taking today's students and transforming them into tomorrow's talent."

Each Talent Hub will receive a one-year, $125,000 grant to support local efforts to increase educational attainment. They also will receive technical assistance and work with other Talent Hubs to tackle shared challenges.

Talent Hubs are part of Lumina's $13 million community mobilization strategy, which focuses on local and regional efforts to increase attainment in ways that can inform other communities.

"Each of these areas truly understands what it takes to pull together around shared goals," said Danette Howard, Lumina's senior vice president and chief strategy officer. "We applaud the businesses, educators, and civic organizations working to create more ways for people to earn college degrees and certificates, industry certifications, and other quality credentials after high school."

About Lumina Foundation

Lumina Foundation is an independent, private foundation in Indianapolis that is committed to making opportunities for learning beyond high school available to all. Lumina envisions a system that is easy to navigate, delivers fair results, and meets the nation's need for talent through a broad range of credentials. The foundation's goal is to prepare people for informed citizenship and for success in a global economy.

About The Kresge Foundation

The Kresge Foundation was founded in 1924 to promote human progress. Today, Kresge fulfills that mission by building and strengthening pathways to opportunity for low-income people in American cities, seeking to dismantle structural and systemic barriers to equality and justice. Using a full array of grant, loan, and other investment tools, Kresge invests more than $160 million annually to foster economic and social change. For more information, visit Kresge.org.

For more information, please contact Tracy Chen, director of media strategy, at [email protected] or 317.951.5316.

SOURCE Lumina Foundation