Lumina Foundation

The Challenge
The term “learning” is too often narrowly defined by the activities that take place in classrooms with desks, computers, and whiteboards. But millions of Americans gain critical knowledge and skills outside of traditional learning environments, and too often those efforts go unrecognized. With a $1.4 billion endowment, the Lumina Foundation has been leading efforts to change that—by bringing together Fortune 1000 companies, leading colleges and universities, federal and state policy makers, and technology companies to ensure that everyone can earn a degree or credential that employers value. 

The Solution
Friday was invited to create Lumina’s Learning Recognition Collaborative, a nationwide effort to help colleges and universities give credit to students who have already logged hundreds of hours of valuable work- and life- experience. As institutions of higher learning commit to the program, the hope is that millions of working Americans will return to college knowing that an advanced degree is closer than they’d thought. 

Our work began with a new brand identity and messaging framework that avoids divisive and confusing jargon to convey the urgency of the challenge while rallying audiences to join in the solution. Friday is now working to launch a digital toolbox that helps schools craft the policies and practices needed to fuel this critical shift in their own institutions, and is laying the groundwork to connect corporations, policymakers, military branches and other critical stakeholders.