With the end of the year comes our final news roundup for 2024! Here are the top headlines in education and martech you should know about:

Education News

When the Hurricane Hit, Community College Students Were There to Help

When Hurricane Helene hammered Western North Carolina, many first responders were community college alums! From helping out in emergency response centers, offering essential health care, and providing critical supplies and food to the community, two-year grads were there to save the day.

“Our community colleges are the lifelines for holding communities together. From the moment the storm landed, our college sprang into action,” writes Jeff Cox, President of the North Carolina Community College System. “Facilities transformed into emergency response centers, sheltering first responders and residents, while meals and supplies were distributed to those in need. Staff and students worked tirelessly, organizing food and supply drives, volunteering on the front lines, and collaborating with local agencies to respond swiftly to immediate needs.” 

Read more on the Community College Daily: https://www.ccdaily.com/2024/10/community-colleges-will-power-western-north-carolinas-recovery/

One in Four Trans High School Students Have Tried Suicide, First Federal Survey Finds

In the CDC’s first federal survey of trans students, depression, harassment, and bullying within schools were all found to be extremely high.

Here are some of the report findings:

• 72% of transgender students felt persistent sadness or hopelessness.
• 1 in 4 trans students attempted suicide. Those are extremely high rates, considering that only 11% of cisgender girls and 5% of cisgender boys reported a suicide attempt.
• 10% of trans students received medical treatment after attempting suicide.

The survey was given to about 20,000 high school students and is regarded as highly accurate.

“The figures reported by the CDC are harrowing and indicate that much remains to be done to support transgender young people’s health and safety in the U.S.,” says Ronita Nath, The Trevor Project’s Vice President of Research.

Read more on The 74: https://www.the74million.org/article/1st-federal-survey-of-trans-students-72-feel-hopeless-1-in-4-tried-suicide/

Beyoncé Makes the Books: Yale University Offers New Course on Beloved Pop Star

Next year, pop music will come to the Ivy League in Yale University’s new one-credit class, “Beyoncé Makes History: Black Radical Tradition, Culture, Theory & Politics Through Music.” 

Students will explore how the record-breaking 99-Grammy nominated superstar has fueled social and political engagement. Taught by African American Studies Professor Daphne Brooks, the course will also be a jumping-off point for learners to discover Black intellectuals like Frederick Douglass and Toni Morrison.

“We’re going to be taking seriously the ways in which the critical work, the intellectual work of some of our greatest thinkers in American culture resonates with Beyoncé’s music,” says Brooks.

Read more on AP News: https://apnews.com/article/beyonce-yale-college-class-music-politics-60ed2a72ea8975b95586119337607f9c

‘Job Killer to Career Changer’: The Power of AI in the Workforce and How Community Colleges Can Help 

Projections from the World Economic Forum say that by 2027, 40% of workers’ core skills will be disrupted by AI. Why? Well, AI might just automate routine tasks in jobs across nearly every sector. 

What’s the solution to keep workers in demand? Community colleges may have the answer to help workers sharpen their skills and keep them successful. From giving college finances a makeover to refining guided pathways and turning to competency-based education, community colleges can bridge education and the evolving workforce. 

Read more on The Community College Daily, https://www.ccdaily.com/2024/10/empowering-community-colleges-to-prepare-workforce-for-ai/

Martech News

When Fake Applications Skyrocket, Colleges Turn to AI

Prince George’s Community College in Maryland might see as many as 80 fraudulent applications in one day. But now, with AI catching more of these fakes, the situation is no longer as challenging as it once was. A few hundred U.S. colleges are employing similar tactics to take a “byte” out of this potentially time- and energy-wasting cybercrime.

Why might a “ghost student” apply in the first place? They might be looking to commit financial aid fraud. Or, they might gobble up student discounts for access to Adobe or Microsoft products.

Community colleges aim to be highly accessible for all students, offering open admissions and no application fees. However, these practices can leave two-year institutions at increased risk for these fraudulent applications. In fact, community colleges in California have lost millions to such scams, not to mention their college staff’s wasted time and effort.

That’s where AI software can come to the rescue. The tools can help cross-reference prospects’ information with public records and data to turn up phonies and protect our colleges.

Read more on the Chronicle of Higher Education: https://www.chronicle.com/article/colleges-see-alarming-rates-of-fake-applications-so-theyre-turning-to-ai

Is Threads the New Twitter? 275 Million Users Think So!

Threads has just hit 275 million monthly active users, making it a top alternative as Twitter, or X, loses steam. In just nine months, Threads has snowballed in gathering more users as engagement (and trust) decline on X.

Threads is even expanding to connect with Mastodon, another Twitter/X alternative platform. Will Threads surpass Twitter/X? Only time will tell. But so far, things are looking up for the platform.

Read more on Marketing Tech: https://www.marketingtechnews.net/news/meta-x-rival-threads-hits-275m-active-users/

Google Ad Manager Gets a Curation Tool Boost

Google Ad Manager will introduce brand new curation tools, allowing media agencies to pinpoint audiences and the best publisher inventory for campaigns easily. Agencies can streamline efforts by tapping top partners for data segments and inventory, including Audigent, IAS, LiveRamp, and Lotame. 

Learn more on Search Engine Land: https://searchengineland.com/google-curation-capabilities-ad-agencies-448241?omnisendContactID=66da1eccd8513e0e07684e2c&utm_campaign=campaign%3A+MM+Listicle+Nov+15+%286733c49a78732375cfabcf57%29&utm_medium=email&utm_source=omnisend

TikTok-tastic: New AI Video Tool Makes Clips a Cinch

Does your college need a leg up to make more TikTok content? Check out the new Symphony Creative Studio, which transforms product descriptions and web addresses into fun video clips. Now, you can pull images straight from your website and easily make trending content. The creative studio also offers customizable digital avatars and multilingual support to help you reach diverse audiences.

Read more on MarTech: https://martech.org/tiktok-launches-ai-video-generation-tool-for-marketers/

That’s a wrap for 2024! Keep your eyeballs peeled for January for more cutting-edge content. Want to keep reading? Then check out The Cutting Edge November Edition!