This week, the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program announced that San Antonio College in Texas is the winner of the 2021 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. The $1 million prize recognizes outstanding institutions selected from over 1,000 community colleges nationwide. Read more about why San Antonio College stood out.

Latinos are poised to be the critical driver of the US economy. They currently represent 17.6% of the workforce and will make up 28% of the total population by 2060. To secure the economy’s health, Domenika Lynch of the Institute’s Latinos and Society Program and Hector Mujica from Google.org say that we must ensure these workers have access to quality jobs and the opportunity to build meaningful careers in an increasingly digital economy.

Restaurant workers have been hit hard by COVID-19. They are among those with the least access to health care or even the ability to take time off for vaccinations or post-jab side effects. With this in mind, the Food & Society program and a host of restaurant industry organizations created Safety First, a pandemic-era best practices guide for owners, employees, and diners that centers respect, kindness, and appreciation—especially for those in the kitchens.

Louise Erdrich, author of The Night Watchman, won the 4th annual Aspen Words Literary Prize for a novel based on the life of her grandfather who was one of the last remaining first speakers of Ojibwe. Erdich and her fellow nominees discussed the challenges of writing during a pandemic and the role of literature in times of fear.

Chekemma J. Fulmore-Townsend, president and CEO of the Philadelphia Youth Network, joined the Shades of Freedom podcast to discuss progress towards youth justice. She shared her personal journey from working directly with youth and families to running a major nonprofit. There is hope, she says, in the new innovations and approaches springing up throughout the city.

In the News

Fulfilling the Promise of Brown v. Board of Education

67 years after the Brown v. Board of Education ruling, white Americans must own up to the ongoing injury that racism creates and the broken society it bequeaths to our children, writes Ross Wiener, executive director of the Aspen Institute Education & Society Program. In a USA Today opinion piece, he notes that students are living through a profoundly teachable moment regarding race.

Support the Institute with brands that fit your values

Sales from the store support the Institute’s essential, unrestricted resources that advance our important work. Share your passion and pride for the Aspen Institute’s mission with some new, sustainable gear from Patagonia, S’well, and others.

Helping Small Businesses Access COVID-19 Relief

May 25, 7 pm ET

How can cities make COVID-19 relief efforts available to small businesses? Watch the Aspen Tech Policy Hub, the Tech Talent Project, and the Winter 2021 Tech Executive Leadership Initiative Cohort showcase their projects.

Mental Health of Parenting Students: A Framework for Higher Education

May 26, 2 pm ET

Although student parents represent more than one in five US undergraduate students, little research currently exists about their unique mental health challenges. Join a discussion on improving the mental health of student parents, from Ascend at the Aspen Institute and the JED Foundation.

Better Arguments 101

May 26, 3 pm ET

American civic life doesn’t need fewer arguments, it needs better ones. The Better Arguments Project will introduce the key principles and dimensions of a better argument.

Your Table Is Ready: Reopening New York City Food and Hospitality

May 27, 3pm

Two New York City restaurant owner-chefs, Amanda Cohen and Russell Jackson, share their insights on what is required and how long it might take for the city’s pre-pandemic vibrancy to return for all. They'll be in conversation with Jonathan Tisch, CEO of Loews Hotel, and Corby Kummer, executive director of the Food & Society Program.

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