Colleges & Universities

As the United States prepares to mark its 250th anniversary, the moment invites more than celebration. It is also an opportunity to reflect on the ideas, conflicts, leaders, movements, and everyday people who have shaped the nation’s story.

Observed each July, Disability Pride Month is an opportunity to celebrate disabled identity, honor the history of disability rights, and reflect on the work still needed to create more accessible communities.

Hispanic Heritage Month provides colleges and universities with an opportunity to celebrate the stories, contributions, leadership, and cultural impact of Hispanic, Latino, Latina, Latine, and Latinx communities.

Juneteenth, observed on June 19, marks the day in 1865 when enslaved African Americans in Texas were finally informed of their freedom after federal troops arrived in Galveston. The news came more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, making Juneteenth a powerful reminder of both delayed justice and enduring resilience.

From climate activism and civic engagement to entrepreneurship, innovation, technology, and free expression, Gen Z is reshaping how leadership looks across industries and communities.

What if the problem was never that someone was a “bad student,” but that they were being measured by the wrong standard? That question is at the center of Justin Shaifer’s new TEDx talk, “You Weren’t a Bad Student, You Were Taking the Wrong Test.”

From Pride Month programming to student leadership conferences and campus-wide conversations about belonging, these 10 LGBTQIA+ speakers bring powerful stories, lived experience, and practical insight to colleges and universities.

In a recent American Conversations interview, historian Heather Cox Richardson sat down with legendary LGBTQIA+ activist and bestselling author Cleve Jones for a powerful discussion on activism, public health, the AIDS crisis and the importance of remembering the movements that brought us here.

David Pogue was recently featured by Next Big Idea Club in “The Apple Way: Creativity, Obsession, and a Little Insanity,” a story highlighting ideas from his book Apple: The First 50 Years. In the piece, Pogue reveals some of the unlikely stories, eccentric personalities, and relentless pursuit of excellence that helped turn Apple into one of the world’s most influential brands.

How do you know if your team is ready for a high-stakes challenge? For Lindy Elkins-Tanton, the answer starts long before the problem shows up. Elkins-Tanton, leader of NASA’s Psyche mission, was recently featured in Next Big Idea Club Magazine in the article “How NASA Teams Solve Problems Before It’s Too Late.”