This presentation at the 2024 FGLI Consortium Annual Conference will explore how Communities of Practice (CoPs) have been pivotal in advancing the American Talent Initiative’s (ATI) efforts to attract, enroll, and graduate Pell-eligible students with first-generation and other underrepresented student intersections. The panel will examine how Ithaka S+R and the Aspen Institute collaborate in shaping and facilitating these communities, responding to the needs of higher education administrators, leaders, and practitioners in an evolving CoP structure. With detailed examples and best practice sharing from ATI member panelists, we will showcase how ATI’s adaptive CoP models enhance institutional and collective impact in community college transfer, veteran students, and broader equity- and access-/success-related initiatives. ATI’s CoPs continue to foster peer learning and collaborative problem-solving across institutional contexts, driving our shared mission forward. Our overall goal is to spotlight how institutions take their participation in ATI’s dynamic CoPs to design plans, mobilize support, and progress toward their ATI goals to reach and serve low-income and first-generation students.

Panelists include Carmen Araoz, Benjamin Fresquez, and more.