SE Valley Times

Education Design Lab has announced that Rio Salado College is among the institutions participating in the Reimagining Community College Design Challenge. This initiative aims to explore new methods to provide students with skills, credentials, and career pathways for success in the current job market.

"Rio Salado is immensely honored to be selected for Education Design Lab's Reimagining Community College Design Challenge,” said Rio Salado President Kate Smith. “As part of this first cohort, our teams will explore how our continuous efforts can further align and equip students with the skills they need for today and tomorrow's evolving workforce. I personally look forward to seeing the work Rio Salado and our fellow innovative institutions do to shape the future of community college education."

Rio Salado will convene a design team to develop strategic opportunities addressing key questions such as making skills visible to employers, embedding career readiness across curricula, designing stackable learning pathways, ensuring flexible learning options, and providing equitable access to support services.

Since 2022, Rio Salado has partnered with Education Design Lab through its Community College Growth fund alongside Mesa Community College, Chandler-Gilbert Community College, and Scottsdale Community College. They have developed microcredentials and pathways like the Precision Optics program launched this year.

Over five years, Rio Salado will gather insights from stakeholders including students and industry partners. The college will use $50,000 in initial funding from the Lab for these efforts. Additionally, Rio Salado will collaborate with national leaders and peer institutions while contributing to ongoing research on learning's future.