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Lauren Bell is the Communications Associate at the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP). In this role, Lauren supports IHEP’s advocacy efforts, media relations, and strategic communications. Prior to joining IHEP, she advocated for childcare and education issues at the state and federal level with ReadyNation, a business leader membership organization.

Lauren began her career as a math teacher in a culturally and linguistically diverse, low-income public high school in Kansas City, Missouri. She later led communications strategy for a gender equity advocacy organization, conducted legislative research for a Missouri state senator, and managed an election campaign in Kentucky’s 56th House District.

Lauren graduated with honors from Lake Forest College with degrees in Political Science and Economics and earned her Master’s in Education from the University of Missouri-St. Louis in 2020. Lauren is a Teach For America alum and volunteers with The DC Education Coalition for Change (DECC), a community-run organization committed to improving educational outcomes for students in Washington, DC.

As a former high school teacher, Lauren saw firsthand the challenges that her students living with low incomes and their families faced in accessing and attaining a postsecondary education. She is motivated to dismantle systemic barriers so that one day all students, regardless of their race, background, or circumstance, have the opportunity to experience the transformative benefits of postsecondary education.