Public Sector, Education & Research

APLU Names Florida Atlantic University an Economic Growth Innovator

Boca Raton, Fla. – September 19, 2026 -- The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) has designated Florida Atlantic University (FAU) as an Innovation & Economic Prosperity (IEP) University, placing it among just over 90 higher education institutions nationwide to hold the credential.

FAU secures national recognition after review of over 1,000 stakeholders

The designation followed an independent, rigorous review process that engaged more than 1,000 internal and external stakeholders, including students, alumni, faculty, community partners, local employers, entrepreneurs, nonprofits and public agencies. The IEP status recognizes universities that collaborate with public and private sector partners to drive economic development through innovation, entrepreneurship, technology transfer, and workforce development.

OneSchool Global Wins Silver A' Design Award for Learning Framework

Bridgewater, N.J. – September 19, 2026 -- OneSchool Global (OSG), a school network operating 122 campuses across 20 countries, has received a Silver A' Design Award for its Learning to Learn framework, an education design model applied to its 8,000-student system.

OSG's proprietary framework earns international design recognition

The A' Design Award and Competition, one of the world's largest international design programs, evaluates submissions through a blind peer-review process involving academics, design professionals and international press members. OSG's Learning to Learn framework was recognized for its innovation, functionality and impact within the education design category.

ACLS Awards $300,000 in 2026 Open Access Book Prizes

New York – September 19, 2026 -- The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) has named six winners of the 2026 ACLS Open Access Book Prizes and Arcadia Open Access Publishing Awards, distributing a combined $300,000 across humanities disciplines.

Six titles split $50,000 prizes each across authors and publishers

Each winning author receives a $20,000 cash award, while the corresponding publisher receives a $30,000 grant to fund immediate open access publication of at least two new books. Winners span Anthropology, Environmental Humanities, History, Literary/Media Studies, Multimodal scholarship, and Political Science categories, selected from shortlists of five finalists per category by a judging panel.

NY Plumbing Association Donates $121,500 to Feeding Families Foundation

New Haven, Conn. – September 19, 2026 -- Feeding Families Foundation has received a $121,500 donation from the Association of Contracting Plumbers City of New York Inc. (ACP), proceeds from the trade group's annual "Plumbing Industry Day" Charity Golf Outing at Old Westbury Golf & Country Club.

ACP's charity golf outing raises six-figure sum for hospital meal program

The event brought together members of New York's plumbing and contracting industry for a full scramble across the club's three nine-hole courses, followed by a cocktail reception, dinner and charity presentation. Robert Greenberg, President of ACP, said the association wanted to back an organization with "a clear mission and a proven ability to turn support into results."

University of Phoenix Signs Transfer Deal with York Technical College

Phoenix – September 19, 2026 -- University of Phoenix has signed a new articulation agreement with York Technical College, giving eligible graduates of the South Carolina community college a defined transfer pathway into the university's online bachelor's degree programs.

University accepts up to 90 transfer credits under new pact

Under the agreement, eligible York Technical College students can apply up to 87 transfer credits toward many bachelor's degree programs at University of Phoenix, with select programs allowing up to 90 credits. The deal adds to a network the university describes as more than 500 articulation agreements with community colleges nationwide, alongside transfer credit acceptance from over 5,000 accredited institutions.

Hampton University Homecoming Set to Generate $8M-$10M for Coastal Virginia

Hampton, Va. – September 19, 2026 -- Hampton University's 2026 Homecoming, running October 18-25, is projected to generate between $8 million and $10 million in direct and indirect economic activity across Hampton and the surrounding Coastal Virginia region, according to the University.

Visitor traffic climbed sharply during the 2025 celebration

New analytics from Placer.ai show Hampton's campus generated approximately 96,000 visits from an estimated 40,800 visitors during the October 19-26, 2025 Homecoming period. Campus visits rose 16.5% year-over-year, while unique visitors increased 18.3%. The average visitor spent more than five hours in the campus area.

Panthers, Bank of America Launch 3rd & Goal to Reach 10,000 Students

Charlotte, N.C. – September 19, 2026 -- The Carolina Panthers and Bank of America launched 3rd & Goal, a new community platform expected to reach 10,000 students across North and South Carolina in its first year.

Panthers and Bank of America unveil unified childhood development platform

The flagship initiative consolidates the organizations' prior separate community efforts into a single program built on three pillars: literacy (Read 20), physical wellness (Play 60) and personal well-being (Feel 100). Kristi Coleman, CEO of Tepper Sports & Entertainment and Carolina Panthers President, said the platform aims to become the organization's signature community initiative and a national model for sports-driven social impact.

Summit Professional Education Names Jeff Wahl as CEO

Franklin, Tenn. – September 19, 2026 -- Summit Professional Education, which has served more than 500,000 healthcare professionals, has appointed Jeff Wahl as Chief Executive Officer, bringing more than 40 years of leadership experience to the education platform's next growth phase.

Wahl brings four decades of operating experience, including two-plus decades in education

Wahl most recently served as CEO of Big Blue Marble Academy (BBMA), an early childhood education provider he joined as Executive Chairman in 2019 before being named CEO in 2020. Under his leadership, BBMA more than quadrupled in size to 93 schools across eight states, educating over 10,000 students and employing more than 2,000 staff.

Savvas, UMGC Launch Dual-Enrollment Deal With 25% Tuition Discount

Maryland – September 18, 2026 -- Savvas Learning Company and University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) have struck a strategic alliance that lets high school students earn UMGC-accepted college credits through Savvas's Outlier dual-enrollment platform, with qualifying students receiving a 25 percent discount on out-of-state tuition for most UMGC undergraduate programs.

UMGC will accept Outlier college credits earned by high schoolers

The Outlier by Savvas solution delivers asynchronous online college courses to K-12 districts, allowing students to simultaneously bank high school and college credit that UMGC will recognize. UMGC, part of the University System of Maryland, serves more than 100,000 learners annually and is the second-largest public university in the U.S. as of 2026, offering skills-based programs in AI, business, cybersecurity, and healthcare.

Truist Backs AJT Academy Conference for 350 Atlanta Student-Athletes

Atlanta – – September 18, 2026 -- Roughly 350 high school student-athletes will gather at Atlanta's Loudermilk Conference Center on Sept. 26, 2026, for the inaugural AJT Academy Student-Athlete Leadership Conference presented by Truist, a program built around the AJ Terrell Jr. Foundation founded by Atlanta Falcons All-Pro cornerback AJ Terrell Jr.

Truist funds leadership program spanning three Atlanta-area high schools

Students from Westlake High School, Frederick Douglass High School and Benjamin E. Mays High School will attend the five-hour event, running 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 40 Courtland St NE. Katie Saez, Truist regional president for Georgia and Alabama, said the bank's partnership with the AJ Terrell Jr. Foundation aims to give young people tools that extend beyond athletics.