Kirshner Speaks to Hunt Institute Leaders Program

Research Professor Jodie Adams Kirshner recently gave a talk to the Hunt Institute’s Leaders Program on increasing access to higher education among low-income, urban populations. It is important that urban populations have access to affordable, quality education in order to advance up the economic ladder and, in turn, contribute to the revitalization of their urban economies. The talk focused on the theme of “equity and quality of access.” Drawing from her research with subjects in Chicago, Memphis, Nashville, and New York, Kirshner spoke about the specific needs and experiences of low-income students in higher education. She spoke alongside Janet Ayers, of the Ayers Foundation, the driving force behind the country’s oldest, most comprehensive free community-college program, the Tennessee Promise. The discussion following Kirshner’s remarks focused on workforce readiness, secondary resources, and replicable models for training and advising.