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A new report is shedding light on a “learning recession” in U.S. schools that started in 2013. The report, titled “From Learning Recession to Learning Recovery: Understanding the Sources of U.S. K-12 Improvement,” was led by researchers at Harvard University, Stanford University, and Dartmouth College. In 2022, the researchers created the Education Recovery Scorecard, which was designed to “track the pace of post-pandemic recovery in local communities around the country,” per the report. It is a collaboration between the Center for Education Policy Research (CEPR) at Harvard and the Educational Opportunity Project (EOP) at Stanford. According to ABC News, the Education Scorecard examined reading and math scores for students in grades 3 through 8 from more than 100 school districts between 2009 and 2025. Findings from the report found that since 2013 there has been a decline in average test scores among students in the U.S. For reading, it was noted that the average annual loss...
Tiwa Savage wants to ensure the next generation of Nigerian artists are well-equipped for the music industry. Savage is a 2007 alumna of Berklee College of Music in Boston. Starting out as a backup singer at 17 for George Michael and many others, Savage attended the University of Kent in England to pursue a career in business administration. From there she landed a job at Royal Bank of Scotland, according to information shared by Berklee. But music was calling her back, and she returned to her first love. “When I came to Berklee and saw a lot of the younger students, their drive and their passion, it recharged my batteries,” Savage told the college at the time she was attending. “[They’re] not thinking, ‘I’m going to save about $10,000 before I move,’ no, ‘I’m just going to get my backpack and move.’ I needed that fresh air, that atmosphere. I kind of felt like a 19-year-old.” Berklee In Nigeria: Tiwa Savage Intensive Music Program Savage is now recognized as a superstar, forging...
The University of Chicago (UChicago) has announced a new initiative to remove financial barriers for its students. UChicago wants to expand its tradition of supporting students on their way to becoming leaders, thinkers, and innovators by providing paid internships, ongoing mentorship, and peer networking opportunities, according to a press release. The school draws first-generation students and those from middle-income families and rural communities, as well as those interested in public service. In the press release, UChicago says undergraduate students from families earning less than $250,000 annually will be eligible for a guaranteed free tuition program starting in the Autumn Quarter 2027. Students from families making less than $125,000 will also receive free housing and meals with other fees covered. The release further notes that the initiative will make it easier for families to predict how much financial support they will receive and simplify the process of exploring...
Salenah Cartier has made history at the University of Houston (UH) at 23 years old. Cartier’s journey at UH has been driven by her understanding that education and technology are key “foundations of society” that can empower underserved communities. She acknowledged this in an interview with ABC13 Houston. “What motivates me most is giving back, showcasing my research by using my research to fill in those gaps within the literature, within studies, by partnering with charities, by volunteering, by being involved within my community, and also giving my life to God,” Cartier explained, according to ABC13 Houston. At age 17, Cartier earned a bachelor’s in psychology and remained at UH to pursue a master’s in education focused on learning, design, and technology. She made history as its youngest master’s graduate at 18, according to Essence. She has now become the university’s youngest PhD graduate. Her doctoral degree is in curriculum and instruction, with an emphasis on learning,...
Southland College Prep Charter High School’s 2026 class has more than one reason to celebrate this graduation season. According to the Jacksonville Free Press, its 135 graduating seniors have collectively received more than 1,300 college acceptances nationwide. What’s more, the class has received $54 million in merit- and need-based scholarships. In particular, Valedictorian LeiLani Barnes will attend the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to pursue a degree in kinesiology and dance, while Salutatorian Loren Rounds will attend Northwestern University to study political science and public health, according to the Black Information Network. Furthermore, seven students received full-ride scholarships to California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and three received full rides to Washington University in St. Louis. “In December of my senior year, I was blessed with the privilege of receiving a full-ride scholarship to Washington University,” Senior Terrill Chambers...
Lamont Newell is heading to an Ivy League school, and he’s already thinking of various ways to give back to the students coming behind him. ABC News reports that Newell is a senior at Verbum Dei Jesuit High School, an all-boys school in Los Angeles. Newell is interested in technology and credits his biology teacher, who serves as a director on the robotics team, for supporting him on this path. “She also nominated me, my sophomore year, to go to NASA in Houston, which actually sparked my engineering [interest],” Newell told the outlet. Newell additionally has interest in sports, playing basketball, and building computers. This has allowed him to remain levelheaded amid challenges at home. He was homeless for a large portion of his childhood, he told the outlet. “We’ve always been moving my whole entire life,” Newell explained. “I couldn’t give you an age where we were homeless because it was from a time span, but those were the main issues.” Newell hasn’t allowed those circumstances...
Twin sisters Tia and Jasmin Criss are set to graduate from the nation’s oldest Historically Black College and University (HBCU). The pair are graduates of Philadelphia High School for Girls and credit their parents, Wendye Criss and the late Lynn Criss III, for helping them dream big. However, they never imagined the feat they would achieve in higher education. CBS News reports the pair attended Cheyney University of Pennsylvania. They both pursued a bachelor’s in business administration, according to their LinkedIn profiles. The pair have now reached the finish line of their studies, with Tia named valedictorian with a 4.0 GPA, and her sister salutatorian with a 3.9 GPA, according to information shared by the university. The pair were “shocked” when they learned of the news, as it was never the goal to become valedictorian or salutatorian, according to CBS News. Associate Dean of Students Dr. Lakiyah Chambers noted the twins’ achievement was a “product of working hard” and...
“It’s never too late,” said Tennessee State University graduate Charles Whitman Dabbs. Dabbs, a Los Angeles native, graduated from high school in 1958. He told NewsChannel 5 that there were no jobs for Black boys at the time, which led him to join the Navy at 17. He served as a hospital corpsman and embarked on a 50-year career in federal service, including with the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense, according to information shared by Tennessee State University. He went on to have a family and work in a handful of roles, including as a drug counselor and mental health worker. While wearing various hats over the years, he earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology and two master’s degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles. In the wake of COVID-19, he decided to pursue a doctorate and began taking online courses at Tennessee State University. His younger classmates assisted him when needed, particularly with technology, he told NewsChannel 5. “I...
Dominique Malonga is a WNBA player who is interested in launching an app in the future. Malonga, a Cameroon native raised in France, was drafted by the Seattle Storm as the second pick in the first round. She previously played with ASVEL Féminin in the Ligue Féminine de Basketball and the French national team at age 16, Women’s Health reports. She already made her mark in the WNBA as the youngest to record a double-double and achieve 100 career points, not to mention her ability to dunk, according to a press release. Her career is already promising, but Malonga is also making sure she invests in her future in more ways than just on the court. Women’s Health reports that she is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in computer science at Southern New Hampshire University. She was good at math and science in school, and she sees a pursuit in tech as timely and relevant. She enrolled in an online program that will take five to six years to complete. “We don’t even understand how it’s going to...
Stephen Curry has established a scholarship at his former college. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Curry attended Davidson College in North Carolina from 2006-2009 and became the Wildcats program’s all-time leading scorer. However, he did not complete his degree at the time, opting instead to pursue an NBA career. He was drafted by the Golden State Warriors in 2009, per Spotrac. He later returned to earn his bachelor’s degree in sociology in 2022. Davidson College Curry Scholars Program Curry is now partnering with the school to launch the Davidson College Curry Scholars Program, which will provide individualized college and career coaching to high-achieving high school students from under-resourced communities hailing from the Bay Area, according to a press release. California’s Oakland Unified School District and non-profit College Track are partners in the program. “Ayesha and I started our foundation in Oakland 7 years ago with the vision of making sure every kid has access to...
These Philly teenagers have earned college degrees before graduating from high school. Channel 6 Action News reports that Boys’ Latin of Philadelphia Charter School in Pennsylvania has a dual-enrollment partnership with the Community College of Philadelphia that has enabled the school to achieve this feat. The program’s purpose is to support “highly motivated students pursuing an accelerated path to higher education,” per its program manual. The opportunity also ensures that underserved youth face fewer financial barriers to pursuing that goal, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. Part of the program’s first class, Dylan Adkins, Khalif Barakat-Cooper, Marquise Floyd-Reid, Aidan Marion, and Jeremiah Roach earned college credits from the Community College of Philadelphia while in high school. Courses they enrolled in included physics, art history, intro to robotics, and survey of criminal justice, among others. “I knew that it was going to be an academic challenge, definitely...
The University of North Texas at Dallas (UNT Dallas) has announced it will be offering free tuition to qualifying students. Kera News reports that the university, led by President Warren von Eschenbach, will cover full tuition and mandatory fees for graduating high school seniors seeking a four-year bachelor’s degree whose families earn $100,000 or less annually. The offering will go into effect beginning Fall 2026, and is made possible through the Trailblazer Tuition Trust, which is supported by federal, state, and institutional grants and scholarships, according to the school’s website. Qualifications To qualify, incoming students must be Pell Grant- and Priority Texas Grant-eligible, have a total family income of $100,000 or less, be a Texas resident who graduated from an in-state high school, receive admission to the university, and submit a valid Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application by June 1. WFAA reports that students can qualify for annual renewals if...
Will.i.am has completed his first semester teaching an agentic AI course at Arizona State University (ASU). As previously reported by AFROTECH™, will.i.am, founder and CEO of FYI.AI, began a 15-week journey in January 2026 to teach students “The Agentic Self” at ASU’s The GAME School. Will.i.am said the opportunity marked a new era in his life. “From creating global unifying music to establishing my i.am Angel Foundation, which empowers 15,000 Los Angeles area high school students with STEM skills and sends thousands to college, I find the answer to my question ‘Where’s the love?’ in this course,” he said. When considering the future — and the next generation — he has not overlooked AI’s role. He views the ASU course as “a solution to AI replacing human jobs.” Across two locations and 16 class meetings, he taught 75 students ages 18 to 70 years, including undergraduate, graduate, and non-degree learners, according to a press release shared with AFROTECH™. Students learned about a...
Seventy-five-year-old Peggy E. Moore is now a college graduate at the very university she has worked at for 44 years. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Moore has worked in the provost’s office at Temple University since 1989. She first served as a receptionist in the medical school admissions department and then in the university budget office a few years earlier. She had initially transferred to the school to pursue her bachelor’s degree in 1980 after attending the Community College of Philadelphia to get her associate’s. Though she took a pause from her education to raise her young sons, she never lost sight of her goal to complete her bachelor’s degree, according to the outlet. Being an employee at the university also meant she received free tuition. She took one to two classes each semester, with risk management and insurance being her favorite course, per The Philadelphia Inquirer. “When I felt myself getting stressed, I would stop like a semester or two, and then I would...
Usher is paving the way for the youth to access opportunities in the entertainment industry. As previously reported by AFROTECH™, Usher has been intentional about supporting youth from the start of his career. Five years after the launch of his self-titled album, he founded the nonprofit Usher’s New Look®, driven by a desire to ensure children have greater access to resources than he did. His mother, Jonnetta Patton, and Shawn H. Wilson are the co-founders. Wilson also serves as president and chief executive officer of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Detroit (BGCGD), which has been instrumental in several efforts to empower the next generation. In December 2025, BGCGD announced a $1 million investment from Usher and Big Sean in a Detroit incubator that prepares youth ages 14 to 24 for careers in fashion, film, television, music production, AI, 3D, and other immersive technologies. Now, Usher is leveraging his upcoming R&B Tour to prepare young people for careers in entertainment....