Alexandra Zink, LMSW, SHRM-CP

🚨 New Opportunity 🚨 Consulting RFP focused on strengthening seamless & low to no-debt pathways to teacher certification. This is an important step in improving access to the teaching profession and supporting the next generation of educators in Philadelphia.

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Bridging campus life with public service! SUNY and the New York State Association of Counties are teaming up to provide students with paid internship opportunities in county government across New York. Students can contact their campus career services office to get started. https://lnkd.in/eedVk_Q7

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Good question Paul Pari!!! Nebraska is making significant strides in ensuring that higher education is within reach for all its residents. Through innovative programs and scholarships, the state is breaking down financial barriers and opening doors to academic and career success. 1. Nebraska Promise This initiative guarantees free undergraduate tuition at the University of Nebraska’s campuses for students from families earning $65,000 or less annually or those eligible for Pell Grants. By covering up to 30 credit hours per academic year, the program ensures that financial constraints don’t hinder academic aspirations. 2. Nebraska Career Scholarship Aimed at students pursuing degrees in high-demand fields like healthcare, engineering, and IT, this scholarship offers up to $10,000 annually. It’s available across various institutions, including public universities, private colleges, and community colleges, emphasizing the state’s dedication to workforce development. 3. Community College Gap Assistance Program Recognizing the importance of vocational and technical education, this program provides grants to low-income students enrolled in short-term certificate programs. It covers essential costs like tuition, books, and equipment, ensuring that students can gain skills for high-demand jobs without financial strain. These initiatives reflect Nebraska’s proactive approach to education and workforce readiness. By investing in its residents’ futures, the state is fostering a more educated and skilled community. #NebraskaEducation #StudentSuccess #HigherEdAccess #WorkforceDevelopment #NebraskaPromise #CareerScholarship #GapAssistance

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The Massachusetts Department of Higher Education has published a new report on median earnings of individuals 5 years post graduation v earnings of those who do not have post-secondary credentials. The message is clear. Getting an Associate degree, in any field, has clear financial benefits. Progressing to completion of a bachelors degree compounds those gains. This should help to convince legislators that investing in supporting individuals who take advantage of Mass Educate and Mass Reconnect has clear benefits to the graduates and to the state. It is not sufficient to enroll students. They must be helped through graduation. #CommunityCollege #NECC #SUCCESS https://lnkd.in/egMEnwJH

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CELaRAI’s groundbreaking work integrating early literacy and thoughtful and ethical AI innovation is truly symbiotic-empowers teachers and impacts student learning — truly symbiotic.

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Wow! MIT OpenCourseWare and Driving OER Sustainability for Student Success (DOERS) celebrate #OpenEducation leaders in #HigherEducation in the state of Massachusetts! Read about the open textbooks efforts by the Massachusetts Open & Low-Cost Educational Resources Advisory Council, in collaboration with The Rebus Foundation and with the support of the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education ➤ https://lnkd.in/gTeGFXdT Innovators like Robert J. Awkward, Millie Gonzalez, Ben Atchison, Marilyn Billings, and Sue Tashjian are leading the way for #StudentSuccess for all.

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I’m happy to share that a new course has been approved for delivery in our MPA program: PSC 542 Labor Relations and Collective Bargaining. After many years as part of the Labor Relations and Human Resources program, it will now be offered online through our URI Master of Public Administration program. The course focuses on the institutional features of public service bargaining, along with the techniques and dynamics that shape the negotiation process. It will be a valuable addition for anyone working at the intersection of public service and labor relations.

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🚨 Big News for Job Seekers in Massachusetts If you're applying for jobs in Massachusetts — especially heading into 2026 — this is something you need to know. Starting October 29, 2025, most employers with 25+ employees will be legally required to include salary ranges in every job posting. That means real numbers — not vague phrases like "competitive pay" or “DOE.” Why is this such a big deal? Because pay transparency changes the power dynamic. It eliminates guesswork, reduces wage disparities, and helps candidates understand their value before they ever hit "Apply." No more: ❌ Spending hours tailoring a resume for a job that pays half of what you need ❌ Walking into an interview unsure what you're negotiating against ❌ Feeling like you have to earn the right to know your worth For job seekers — especially moms returning to the workforce, career changers, and anyone tired of playing salary roulette — this is a win. It gives you the clarity you deserve and the leverage to advocate for yourself from day one. And as someone who helps people position themselves confidently in the job market, I am thrilled to see this shift. Want help making sure your resume or job search strategy matches the opportunities this law is about to open? I’m here for it. Drop a comment or send me a message. Your next step just got clearer — and fairer. ✨ https://lnkd.in/e7RMna_Y

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Thrilled to be joining Ching-Ching Lin, Ed. D, Dr. Jasmin Cowin, Joy Scantlebury, Marina Pisto, Laura Mendoza, and Joye Smith, an incredible group of scholars and educators, for this webinar on centering community, creativity, and humanity in language and teacher education. My portion explores how community inquiry—grounded in counternarratives and critical self-reflection—can shift educators toward asset-based recognition of multilingual students and families. Right now, when so many communities are navigating heightened uncertainty, recognizing the brilliance, resilience, and knowledge that multilingual learners and families bring isn't just good pedagogy. It's an act of advocacy. I'm especially looking forward to learning alongside fellow panelists whose work in community asset mapping, arts integration, transborder pedagogies, and creative storytelling shares a deep commitment: seeing students' and communities' lived experiences as powerful sources of knowledge, not gaps to be filled. Hope you'll join us. #MultilingualEducation #AssetBasedPedagogy #TESOL #LanguageEducation #CulturallySustainingPedagogy

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I can't say enough about the method and impact of Bottom Line- the outcomes that advising/student-facing professionals could gain from this is only eclipsed by the students' experience.

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To help address NJ's teacher shortage, TCNJ's School of Graduate, Global, and Online Education has launched a new Career and Technical Educator alternate route program designed for individuals who have not completed a formal teacher preparation program but wish to become certified teachers in New Jersey. https://lnkd.in/exqDeaHP

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I’ve been reflecting on what meaningful college access truly looks like, and the recent partnership between Smith Academy and Vermont State University is a powerful example. Creating structured opportunities for high school seniors to engage in authentic college-level learning — while still supported in their high school environment — is more than innovative. It’s intentional. Partnerships like this don’t happen by accident. They require vision, alignment, and a dedicated team committed to expanding opportunity for students. Credit to the educators, administrators, and leadership who made this collaboration possible. When K–12 and higher education work together thoughtfully, we don’t just create programs — we create pathways. https://lnkd.in/eRt8n6vr #HigherEducation #EnrollmentLeadership #StudentSuccess #CollegeAccess #EducationInnovation

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Check out SUNY figuring AI ethics into its core GenEd competencies (below). The article captures both the enthusiasm and the doubt, highlighting concerns as to whether students are prepared to spot AI "hallucinations." I wonder whether courses in AI ethics might also address the ecological implications of the technology--the water-intensive data centers, the enormous dependence on fossil fuel energy. Interesting that some researchers are putting AI to work on these very problems. Thanks to Nicholas Muranaka and Chenxing Xie for educating me about Gen AI and being shrewd assessors of its social impacts. https://lnkd.in/gd6jZcHs

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