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The conversation continues..

By Dr. Tonja L. Ringgold and Noah M.P. Harris

On Nov. 14, hundreds of undergraduate women gathering at Morgan State University in Baltimore for Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority’s Undergraduate Leadership Institute will do more than listen to presentations. They will run the program. Graduate advisers will take seats in the back of the room.

This is intentional. Too many institutions invite young people to observe leadership without trusting them to exercise it. We believe the future of leadership depends not on one generation stepping aside for another, but on generations sharing responsibility now.

We have seen the difference from two vantage points.

For Dr. Ringgold, Morgan State is where that journey began. Initiated into Alpha Kappa Alpha’s Alpha Delta Chapter in 1982, she recently reunited with two sorority sisters who guided her as an undergraduate, including a former chapter president whose example still informs her leadership today. Forty-four years later, she returns as director of the sorority’s North Atlantic Region, keenly aware of what it means when someone invests in a young woman’s potential. The homecoming carries added significance: Alpha Delta, chartered in 1926, is celebrating its centennial; and the chapter that shaped her is still helping shape new leaders.

For Ms. Harris, leadership is not a distant destination. She is a Bowie State University senior and president of its Eta Chapter who, this summer, was elected Alpha Kappa Alpha’s International Second Vice President. As an undergraduate member of the sorority’s international governing board, she carries student perspectives into decisions affecting the organization. A 2025 Leadership Fellows experience encouraged her to seek that larger platform. To her, leadership is measured by the people she can serve, not simply the position she holds.

Our experiences challenge a familiar assumption: Young people must wait their turn. Founded in 1908 by Black college women, Alpha Kappa Alpha now counts more than 390,000 initiated members across more than 1,122 chapters. That reach brings a responsibility to open doors, not merely preserve tradition.

Deloitte’s 2026 global survey found that 76% of Gen Z respondents were interested in pursuing senior leadership roles eventually, although only 6% of surveyed Gen Z and millennials named leadership their primary career goal. Many cited burnout, excessive responsibility and work-life balance as concerns. Young people are not necessarily avoiding leadership. They are questioning the conditions under which it is exercised.

At a time when companies are pulling back on women’s advancement, Black women face persistent barriers. McKinsey and LeanIn.Org’s 2025 report found that among companies studied, only 60 Black women were promoted to manager for every 100 men. Telling young women to wait their turn cannot fix an unequal pathway to leadership.

Experience matters. Seasoned leaders carry institutional memory, hard-won judgment and relationships that take years to build. But experience cannot develop in a waiting room. Young leaders need meaningful assignments, honest guidance and room to make mistakes. Experienced leaders must also be prepared to reconsider familiar ways of doing things.

We see that exchange in our own relationship. Ms. Harris draws on Dr. Ringgold’s decades of sorority service and higher education experience. Dr. Ringgold listens when Ms. Harris speaks, recognizing that younger perspectives can challenge assumptions and reveal better approaches. Neither of us has all the answers. Both of us have something to contribute.

Our upcoming Undergraduate Leadership Institute will put that principle into practice. Undergraduate members will lead, with graduate members offering guidance and expertise. We’re taking the same approach in planning our 96th North Atlantic Regional Conference, scheduled for March 2027, where undergraduate counterparts will work alongside graduate vice chairs in operations, programming, social activities and logistics. They’ll help plan an event serving the entire region, not just their undergraduate peers.

That is the distinction between inclusion and influence. A seat at the table means little if the people invited cannot help determine what happens there.

Businesses, colleges, nonprofits and civic organizations can do the same. Pair mentorship with meaningful assignments. Involve emerging leaders in decisions before those decisions are final. Give them resources and room to grow. When they challenge a familiar practice, ask whether it still serves its purpose.

We should not ask experienced leaders to disappear or young leaders to wait. The goal isn’t to pass the torch and walk away. It’s to expand the circle of people empowered to lead and build stronger institutions together.

Dr. Tonja L. Ringgold is the North Atlantic Regional Director of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. Noah M.P. Harris, a senior at Bowie State University, is the sorority’s International Second Vice President and president of its Eta Chapter.

By NNPA Staff Report

The Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) and the National Head Start Association (NHSA) released the Year Two Annual Report of the Kids on Campus initiative, which advances the success of parenting students and supports the school readiness of young children from low-income backgrounds by expanding Head Start classrooms onto community college campuses. The five-year initiative aims to establish at least 50 such partnerships by 2030.

Nearly one in five undergraduates in the United States — approximately 3.14 million students — are parenting while pursuing their college education. For many, access to high-quality, affordable, and convenient child care remains one of the biggest barriers to completing their degree.

The initiative’s core philosophy is rooted in two of the most effective strategies for reducing poverty: providing high-quality early childhood education and increasing adult economic mobility through education, training, and workforce pathways. Together, these approaches support two generations simultaneously, strengthening children’s development while helping parents pursue long-term economic success.

“When we support parents, we uplift students,” says Francisco Solis, president of San Antonio College (TX), which has a long-standing partnership with Head Start. “When families thrive, our community thrives. This is the power of a two-generation approach.”

The annual report outlines the rationale behind ACCT and NHSA’s work, progress to date, next steps, and opportunities for community colleges and Head Start programs to engage with Kids on Campus.

As of March 2026, at the end of year two of the initiative:

• 110 community colleges and 130 Head Start programs have taken initial steps to connect and engage with Kids on Campus.
• Partners have identified 43 potential matches between community colleges and Head Start programs interested in exploring partnerships across 19 states.

Five new Kids on Campus partnerships have launched in California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, and Texas, with two additional partnerships in advanced stages of development in Texas.

“Before I found the Head Start on my college campus, it was extremely difficult,” says Cristina Medina, a student parent at Palo Alto College, one of the newest Kids on Campus launched sites. “I was on the edge of mentally and emotionally giving up because being a full-time mom while going to school and work was hard with no support.”

The initiative continues to grow nationwide through expanded partnerships, technical assistance, and collaborative efforts to strengthen on-campus child care and early childhood education opportunities for student parents and families.
The report profiles active partnerships and explores the benefits and barriers they face, financial considerations, model sustainability, advice from the field, and what is next for Kids on Campus.

To access the full report, go to kidsoncampus.org/annual-report.

ACCT and NHSA invite community colleges, Head Start programs, and philanthropic supporters interested in transforming outcomes for children and families to contact [email protected].

Kids on Campus is supported by ECMC Foundation, Imaginable Futures, Lumina Foundation, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Trellis Foundation, Crimsonbridge Foundation, and Seldin Haring-Smith Foundation.

Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) is a non-profit educational organization of governing boards, representing more than 6,500 elected and appointed trustees who govern over 1,000 community, technical, and junior colleges in the United States and beyond. ACCT fosters the principles and practices of exemplary governance while promoting high-quality and affordable higher education, cutting-edge workforce and development training, student success, and the opportunity for all individuals to achieve economic self-sufficiency and security. Visit www.acct.org for more information.

The National Head Start Association (NHSA) believes that every child, regardless of circumstances at birth, has the ability to succeed in school and in life. The opportunities offered by Head Start lead to healthier and empowered children and families and stronger, more vibrant communities. NHSA is the voice for more than 750,000 children, 250,000 staff, and more than 1,600 Head Start grant recipients in the United States. Visit nhsa.org or follow @NatlHeadStart to learn more.