1. 101
WACKY
IDEAS
RECLAIMING A NATION
OF PRE-GRADUATES

2. Population with Some College
No.
Talent Measures
% of People
Educational Attainment (Population 25 and Older)
Less than High School 14.7% 903,015
High School Only 27.1% 1,664,743 Represents
Some College 19.2% 1,179,449 25-33%
AA Degree 6.7% 411,578
of adult
Four-year Degree 32.3% 1,984,177
population
Educational Attainment of Young Adults (25 to 34)
Less than High School 12.7% 166,218
Four-year Degree 35.8% 468,552
Talent Dividend
Goal 33.3%
Additional degree holders 61,430
Source: 2007 American Community Survey
Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, IL-IN-WI
Metropolitan Statistical Area

3. Capturing the Talent Dividend
Strategy Buckets:
Re-engage adults with some college, no 4-year
degree
Increase transfer rate of students in 2-year
institutions to 4-year institutions
Retain current students for timely completion
Increase college-going behavior of high school
students

4. How can we encourage adults
to re-enroll and finish?

5. Ethnographic Research
NOT OUR TARGET
• 4 cities
• Participant journals
• Excursions
• In-home interviews

6. Our Target

7. Observed Journeys

8. Observed Journeys

9. Process
• Expert interviews
• Ideation salons
• Evaluation
• Refinement

10. TOP 5
WACKY IDEAS

11. #1: Pop-Up
Classrooms
Learning happens
wherever and whenever
people are open to it.

12. #2: Failure
Lab
Re-brand failure as a
learning experience.

13. #3: Cause Centric
Experience
The cause is the lens for
every learning
experience.

14. #4: Learning
Dashboard
A personalized lifelong
learning portal.

15. #5: Career
Discovery Camp
Restructure higher
education to enable
career sampling.

16. What will your city do to increase
adult enrollment and completion?