Why We Need to Pivot from a “Schooled Society” to a “Learning Society”

Learning Lab Director Lark Park, who has known Mitchell Stevens for more than a decade, caught up with him after the launch of the Learning Society on Stanford’s campus in February 2026. This conversation is about why he launched it, a brief history of the policies and forces that have shaped education and workforce, and what the revolution or evolution of a Learning Society might look like in the future.

The Future of Higher Education: IDEAS MATTER Podcast with Mitchell Stevens

As AI ushers in a fourth industrial revolution and universities face the onset of the demographic cliff, what does the future of higher education look like? In this episode of Ideas Matter, WashU’s Sandro Galea, dean of the Bursky School of Public Health, and Stanford University’s Mitchell Stevens discuss how higher education reached this crossroads and what kinds of institutional changes need to take place in order to create a more equitable society.

First-Time Adult Enrollment Dropped This Fall. Should Colleges Be Worried?

Nearly 16 percent fewer adults started college for the first time this fall compared to the previous year. Some say the change represents rightsizing after an enrollment boom, but others say it’s a reversal worth keeping an eye on.

Pivots Without Pathways: Career Navigation in a Fragmented Labor Market

This report details findings from a two-year, mixed-methods study examining how low-wage workers and community college students navigate their careers, including how they access, interpret, and use education and career information.

Two generations, one path: Chicago program sends students, parents to college together

Aron Kuecker thinks the economics of higher education are broken. As CEO of Hope Chicago, he’s on a mission to fix that.

A new model for learning and work, incubated at Stanford

Accelerator Faculty Affiliate Mitchell Stevens talks about an initiative to rethink learning so that Americans can prosper in the wake of technological change and lengthening lifespans.

Young People Are Falling Behind, but Not Because of AI

The case that AI is already stealing young people’s jobs is based on a statistical mirage.

Why College Graduates Feel Betrayed

Their anger goes far beyond the recent rise of unemployment and the looming threat of A.I.

ScalingWork-Based Learning: A Framework for Effective Employer Intermediaries

Work-based learning experiences, including internships, co-ops, and apprenticeships, provide employers with access to emerging talent and allow learners to build valuable skills through hands-on work. These experiences are increasingly of interest to both K-12 and postsecondary education systems as they strengthen individuals’ ties to the labor market, helping to prevent underemployment and unemployment, and are critical to building a workforce that can drive a globally competitive economy.

Disney’s New CEO and the Rise of “Experience Intelligence”

As organizations today confront trust, engagement, and resilience challenges, leaders who have “experience intelligence” have a strategic advantage. These leaders focus less on controlling outcomes, and more on creating conditions where employees and customers feel seen, capable, and proud. They understand that designing experiences that people genuinely love—not merely like or respect—drive behavior, loyalty, and performance more reliably than incentives or pressure.