Chris Palkowitsch on senior living in college towns at EFA

A transformative new chapter in aging studies is unfolding at Trent University. 🪏 Set to open in 2027, this 224-bed not-for-profit residence will be located on Trent’s Symons Campus — the first long-term care home in Canada to be built on a university campus. This milestone project will not only respond to the region’s urgent need for long-term care, but also establish a hub for research, hands-on student learning, 90 student placements, and meaningful intergenerational connections. As a designated Age-Friendly University, Trent will welcome residents of the long-term care home into campus life, fostering opportunities for learning, engagement, and community building across generations. Learn more about Trent's Long-term Care Home & Seniors Village: https://lnkd.in/gRV5_CWd #ChangingTheWorldOfSeniorLiving #TrentCentreForAgingandSociety #DesigningVibrantCommunitites Trent President Cathy Bruce City of Peterborough Trent University Office of Research & Innovation Natalia Kusendova-Bashta Dave Smith

Community colleges drive local economies, improve health, and strengthen democracy, yet these contributions rarely count in value measurement. This new pilot project redefines success for open-access colleges by capturing their real impact on communities. Download the Urban Institute's report to see this new framework for defining community college value: https://lnkd.in/gmmEVYBm

Fixing the Foundation: Uneven Access to Modern Schools and a Blueprint for a More Equitable Future is now available. Produced by the MassINC Policy Center in partnership with the Worcester Regional Research Bureau, Inc., the report examines how inequities in school facilities across Massachusetts affect student opportunity and outlines policy solutions to ensure every community can provide safe, modern, and well-equipped schools. Thank you to the policymakers, educators, advocates, and community leaders who joined us at the State House for yesterday's release and discussion. Your insights and engagement help move this work forward. We will be sharing a full event recap soon. In the meantime, explore the findings and recommendations here: https://lnkd.in/eXgXmzTD

Thank you to MassINC for partnering with us on this project over the last year. This work highlights some of the most consequential equity gaps in Massachusetts’ school infrastructure and what happens when a needs based formula is not matched by funding capacity or fair cost sharing rules. Despite making up a disproportionate share of poor quality buildings, schools missing key learning spaces such as libraries, art and music classrooms, gyms, and cafeterias, and schools that are overcrowded, city districts were not proportionally awarded projects for new school construction or renovation by the MSBA. From 2015 to 2024, suburban districts were overrepresented among new construction projects. The work also identified gaps in access to core educational spaces in schools by race, ethnicity, and income. For example, white students are three times more likely to attend a school with a library compared to their Hispanic peers, and two and a half times more likely compared to their Black peers. Lastly, while state law is designed to progressively reimburse communities for the bonds they take out for school construction, providing more support to communities with lower property values and incomes, the way the policy is executed, including which cost areas are deemed ineligible or by how much, has disproportionately hurt urban districts. The gap between the statutory reimbursement rate and the actual reimbursement rate is 34 percent in Boston, and among Gateway Cities the average shortfall is 20 percent, the largest gaps by any district type. I hope this work will continue to inform important conversations across the state about how to ensure that the wealth of communities does not determine access to adequate, modern, safe, 21st century schools.

Community-based partnerships strengthen outcomes for Utah youth. The Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute’s new report, “Educational Achievement and Workforce Development: A Review of Community-Based Approaches,” finds that aligning schools, families, and community organizations around shared cradle-to-career outcomes can improve education, health, and economic mobility. “This report reinforces that the best solutions can come from our own communities. When we work together, we can improve outcomes for kids no matter their circumstances," said Utah Sen. Lincoln Fillmore in a press release published by the Gardner Institute. StriveTogether, Harlem Children's Zone, Partners for Rural Impact, Promise South Salt Lake, Millcreek Promise, the Roy Cone Project. United Way of Salt Lake Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gNqBCV_K

Penn State is working closely with community leaders to plan the future of seven branch campuses set to close in 2027. Find out how these properties might be transformed to serve local needs. Full details here: https://lnkd.in/gpQ-ZgAH

Henry Street CEO David Garza was honored to appear on this edition of CUNY TV’s Café con Felo talk show with CUNY Chancellor Felix Matos Rodriguez, where he discussed Henry Street Settlement’s holistic approach connecting housing, health, education, and workforce opportunities under one roof. It’s a model of wraparound support that aligns with CUNY’s mission: empowering students and families to thrive, not just academically, but as whole human beings. Henry Street and The City University of New York share a commitment to educational equity and access for all New Yorkers. Watch the full interview here: https://lnkd.in/ghwP862u

Since 2015, the Nebraska Academy for Early Childhood Research has advanced high-quality early childhood research and collaboration at the University of Nebraska. NAECR plays a vital role in supporting cross-campus research that benefits Nebraska’s families and early childhood workforce while strengthening connections among the state’s practice, policy and research communities. Watch a short video celebrating 🔟 years of research, collaboration and positive impacts! Interviewees include: • Lisa Knoche, CYFS and NAECR • Katie Bass, First Five Nebraska • Alex Daro, Buffett Early Childhood Institute at the University of Nebraska • Danae Dinkel, University of Nebraska at Omaha • Amy Napoli, UNL College of Education and Human Sciences 🥳 Learn more: naecr.unl.edu/10-year #earlychildhood #eceresearch #NUforNE #NAECR10

A new Health and Well-being Center at Junior Achievement Finance Park of Kentucky will engage nearly 10k middle and high school students annually. Announced yesterday, the new Center introduces a mental health education component to JA Finance Park’s interactive learning model. The space will help students connect financial literacy with emotional well-being and discover practical ways to prioritize mental health as part of their overall wellness. Thie new Center is funded by the Humana Foundation and the Jewish Heritage Fund based on their shared vision of advancing equitable health outcomes for Louisville’s youth with support from the Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute. https://lnkd.in/d5Q5FzdR

New State Grants for After-School Programs in Norwalk Announced This is great news for students and their families in Norwalk as after-school programs offer so many benefits. This funding will help provide academic support, social & emotional development, family & community engagement, and encourage healthy habits. These programs are so important for families and I am thrilled to bring these resources home to Norwalk. The Connecticut State Department of Education selected recipients through a competitive process that evaluated each applicant's ability to address local student needs, foster family and community engagement, provide academic enrichment, promote student wellness, and demonstrate effective program planning and organization. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gxMEwD_w