Community College Growth Engine Fellows Program

Community College Growth Engine Fellows Program

Program Acronym: CCGE Fellows

Funder: Walmart (provides foundational funding)

Program Status: Active. 2025 Cohort and 2024 Cohort listed with fellows identified.

Program Overview

Education Design Lab's Community College Growth Engine (CCGE) brings together higher education leaders across the U.S. to scale skills-based pathways through the Lab's human-centered design process. The fellowship supports higher education leaders to drive system-level transformation through the design of micro-pathways — stackable, job-relevant credentials that can be completed in one year or less — that help align community college programs with regional workforce needs.

Focus Areas

Primary Goal: Ensure learner-earners are equipped with the skills needed for high-growth career opportunities by aligning community college programs with regional workforce needs.

Key Concept: Micro-pathways are stackable, job-relevant credentials that can be completed in one year or less, allowing learners to accelerate into the workforce with industry-recognized skills and credentials, rather than taking two or more years for traditional degrees.

Target Population:

New Majority Learner-Earners — 62% of Americans who don't hold a four-year degree

Individuals for whom college was not designed

Community college students seeking accelerated, affordable pathways

Why It Matters

• Traditional higher education models are being questioned
• Community colleges are looked to as regional talent hubs that can respond to labor market needs through partnerships with local industries
• Need for more flexible, affordable higher ed system for non-degree holders
• Opportunity to build talent ecosystems that align future of work with future of learning

Program Support & Activities

For 2025 Cohort ("Fellows 2.0"):

Design blueprints for implementation of micro-pathways within community college systems

Support from former Fellows and network of peers through CCGE's community of practice

Participation in both in-person and virtual design sessions

Completion of CCGE Micro-pathway Design micro-credential

Ongoing Support:

Structured micro-pathway design process

Technical assistance

National community of learning/community of practice

Positioning community colleges as talent suppliers and drivers of innovation between education and employment

Geographic Scope

United States

Participant Types

• State higher education leaders
• Community college system leaders
• State policymakers
• Higher education administrators and directors

2025 Cohort Fellows

1. Natalie Brown, PhD — Nevada System of Higher Education 2. Blaise King — AccelerateMS 3. Tina Moore, PhD — Arkansas Department of Education 4. Tola Francis-Sanusi — Marion Technical College 5. Crystal Jones, PhD — Ohio Association of Community Colleges 6. Andrew Gardner, PhD — North Carolina Community College System 7. Kyla Waters — Center for Workforce, Arkansas Community Colleges 8. Daniel Archer, PhD — Nevada System of Higher Education 9. Andrea Crowley, PhD — North Carolina Student Success Center 10. Seth Marc Kamen, PhD — North Carolina Community Colleges

2024 Cohort Fellows

1. Michael Brown, PhD — Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges 2. Mason Campbell — Arkansas Division of Higher Education 3. Shelton Charles, PhD — Forsyth Technical Community College 4. Tracy Harrell — Arkansas Division of Higher Education 5. Renee Harrison — Forsyth Technical Community College 6. Cyndi Johnson — Forsyth Technical Community College 7. Mary Beth Lakin — Minnesota State 8. Robb Lowe, EdS — Minnesota State 9. Carolyn McKinnon — Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges 10. Nancy Miller — Forsyth Technical Community College 11. Daniel de Moraes — Minnesota State 12. Alissa Sells — Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges 13. Travis White, PhD — Tulsa Community College

Contact Information

Email: connect@eddesignlab.org

Address: 1717 K Street, NW, Suite 900, Washington, DC 20006

Resources & Publications

• Publication: "Transforming Community Colleges: 5 Design Questions to Shape the Future of Learning" (June 2023)
• Design Insights Brief: "Community College Growth Engine Micro-pathways: A Gateway to Community College Transformation"
• Blog series: "How can micro-pathways drive systems change?" with insights from Arkansas, Minnesota State, and Washington State
• Webinar recording: "How 13 Fellows from 5 states are transforming community college systems through micro-pathway design" (March 2025 Learn+Share Showcase)

Related Initiatives

• Montana launches statewide micro-credential development initiative in partnership with Education Design Lab and Montana University System (announced September 2023)