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Many adult learners are seeking continuing education over degrees. Here’s how community colleges are…

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Wayne County Site Visit

Jul 30, 2026

Belk Center Launches New Adult Learner Lab to Scale Student Success Nationwide

Building on its commitment to reshaping postsecondary possibilities for adult learners, the Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research (Belk Center) at NC State University has launched the Adult…
Decoration for the Adult Learner Guidebook 3rd Edition

Apr 20, 2026

Third Edition of Adult Learner Guidebook Released

The Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research is pleased to announce the release of the Adult Learner Guidebook, Third Edition. This latest edition reflects the continued growth and…

May 5, 2026

NC Reconnect Data Reveals Earnings Boost for Adult Learners Returning to Community College

For adult learners in North Carolina, returning to the classroom is a significant decision made alongside the daily responsibilities of work and family. New outcome data from the initial cohort…

Apr 23, 2026

How can community colleges market to adult learners? ‘Reach out to people’s fears, not just their goals’

by Sophia Luna, EdNC.org Archie Bacud, a medical laboratory technology student at Southeastern Community College, immigrated to the United States from the Philippines with his family in 2018 and is…

Apr 20, 2026

Belk Center launches guidebook on NC Reconnect program for adult learners

by Sergio Osnaya-Prieto, EdNC.org The Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research has released its third Adult Learner Guidebook, analyzing the growth and impact of NC Reconnect, a program…

Jun 8, 2026

Ahead of Workforce Pell, NC community colleges discuss efforts to leverage student data and reenroll adult learners

by Sophia Luna, EdNC.org Community college leaders from across North Carolina met on June 2 to discuss how to structure, collect, and use student data to better engage with adult…

Mar 9, 2026

Belk Center Honored with 2026 Opal Mann Green Engagement and Scholarship Award

The Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research (Belk Center) at NC State University has been selected as a recipient of the 2026 Opal Mann Green Engagement and Scholarship…

Feb 9, 2026

Perspective | Proximity: A powerful pathway to student success

by Audrey J. Jaeger, EdNC.org In the Belk Center’s work with adult learners across North Carolina, we’ve developed a framework grounded in what we call the “5 Ps” — public…

Jan 26, 2026

Learn how NC Reconnect is reenrolling adult learners in community colleges

by Sergio Osnaya-Prieto, EdNC.org An initiative aimed at increasing adult learners’ reenrollment in North Carolina community colleges is helping the state make progress toward its educational attainment goal, according to…

Sep 30, 2025

Many adult learners are seeking continuing education over degrees. Here’s how community colleges are responding

by Liz Bell, EdNC.org More and more adult learners are seeking short-term training for higher wages instead of degrees, according to national research. That’s also the case for the students…