”Education is not just the responsibility of educators. It is everyone's responsibility.”

When we talk about transforming higher education, the focus is often on colleges and state policymakers. But many of the forces that shape student success, from workforce opportunities to housing affordability, are deeply local. In a state as large and diverse as California, student needs and regional conditions vary widely within and across communities.

In this episode of Degrees of Change, California Competes CEO Su Jin Jez connects with president and CEO of the Bay Area Council and former Oakland mayor, Libby Schaaf, to explore the role local and regional leaders play in strengthening higher education through cross-sector collaboration.

Key Topics

• The Oakland Promise and its role as proof of concept for Cal Kids, now the nation's largest college savings program
• Why higher education must move past the idea that learning ends in your 20s, and why listening closely and often to employers is essential as needs rapidly evolve
• Apprenticeships as a proven path to a future-ready workforce
• Why community systems must operate as one continuum to support children from cradle to career

Our Guest

Libby Schaaf is the president and CEO of the Bay Area Council, a policy organization representing employers and focused on strengthening the region's economic competitiveness and long-term prosperity. With decades of public service and executive leadership experience, Libby is a fierce advocate for education with a strong track record of building public-private partnerships and driving economic transformation. As Oakland's 50th mayor, she helped establish the Oakland Promise, a cradle-to-career initiative to increase the number of Oakland students graduating from college. She is also a long-term member of California Competes's board of directors and has continued to shape conversations on leadership, equity, and economic development through fellowships and teaching roles at UC Berkeley, Stanford, and Harvard University.

In This Episode

• Bay Area Council: https://www.bayareacouncil.org/ 
• Oakland Promise: https://www.oaklandpromise.org/ 
• Cal Kids: https://calkids.org/
• Medi-Cal: https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/medi-cal/
• San Francisco’s K2C Program: https://www.sfgov.org/k2c
• Trump Accounts: https://trumpaccounts.gov/
• Northern California Apprenticeship Network: https://www.norcalapprenticeshipnetwork.com/
• Harvard’s EdRedesign Lab: https://edredesign.org/
• Harlem Children’s Zone: https://hcz.org/
• Promise Neighborhoods: https://promiseneighborhoods.ed.gov/ 

Stay Connected

• Subscribe to Degrees of Change on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. 
• Sign up to receive updates.
• Follow California Competes on LinkedIn.