Help Without ‘Performing Poverty’

Everything happening in the world converges in one place: higher education.  College Matters from The Chronicle, coming September 10.

Online and adult learners don't always get "that camaraderie, that rah-rah feel that you typically expect," says Melvin Hines Jr., the founder of Upswing. We talk with him about how tutoring and coaching — on students' schedules — can keep them on track.

Just three interactions with a well-trained peer or alum can expand a student's comfort zone — and benefit the mentor, too. We talk with Jackson Boyar, the co-founder and CEO of Mentor Collective, about what makes for good mentoring.

Here's how a nonprofit teams up with colleges to support students underrepresented in tech and build their career prospects. We talk with Michael Ellison, the co-founder and CEO of CodePath, about how an extra layer inside an academic department can diversify a field.

Digital nudges and humans together can help historically underrepresented students find their own answers and motivation to succeed in college. We talk with Alexandra Bernadotte, the CEO and founder of Beyond 12, about the role of coaching and student-centered design in the movement for educational equity.

One entrepreneur thinks an app might be more effective than a person at distributing emergency aid to students. We talk with David Helene, the CEO and founder of Edquity, about research-driven social entrepreneurship and policy change.

Résumé prep? Sure. But colleges and employers working together can help students build professional networks and social capital. We talk with Aimée Eubanks Davis, the founder and CEO of Braven, about the role of career development in social mobility.