Tuesday, October 6, 2026
CVTC joins Alliance of Future Makers to reimagine higher education
National initiative brings educators, innovators, leaders together
Chippewa Valley Technical College (CVTC) is proud to announce participation in the Alliance of Future Makers (AFM), a national innovation initiative founded by the Austin Community College District (ACC) to shape the future of higher education. The Alliance brings together educators, administrators, industry leaders, students, and futurists to co-create strategies that prepare students for an increasingly complex and rapidly changing world.
CVTC, alongside 16 other institutions, totaling 72 members in this cohort, will join together to learn foresight methods, experiment with innovative approaches, and apply future-focused strategies. The Alliance of Future Makers, developed through ACC’s Office for the Future, brings members together monthly to identify emerging trends, develop scenarios, and design solutions that anticipate the needs of students, colleges, and communities.
“Preparing students for the future means we cannot simply respond to change. We have to anticipate it and be at the forefront of innovation in education,” said Dr. Sunem Beaton-Garcia, president of CVTC. “This opportunity aligns closely with CVTC’s commitment to innovative, applied, and flexible education and will help us continue thinking differently about how we prepare our students and respond to the evolving needs of employers and the communities we serve.”
Led by Dr. Monique Reeves, ACC’s Executive Vice Chancellor for the Future, the Alliance offers three unique cohort tracks: a Fellows Track for scholar-practitioners, an Administrator Track, and the President/CEO Circle for college and university presidents and CEOs invited to participate as an institution based on their demonstrated innovation in the field. The initiative will culminate in spring 2027 with the 2nd Annual Summit of Future Makers, where members will showcase future-ready models for higher education.
“This is not a conversation for later. It’s a call for leaders, innovators, and educators to step into the work now,” says Reeves. “By joining the Alliance, you become part of the community that will decide what higher education looks like in 2030 and beyond — and ensure that it continues to serve students, employers, and community in ways that matter.”
For more information about the Alliance of Future Makers, visit austincc.edu/afm.
