The mighty heartland of the United States, the American Midwest, is certainly struggling economically. This region was the epicenter of America's industrial revolution, the arsenal of democracy in World War II, and the builder of the great blue-collar middle class that personified the American Dream. This important region made America a global agricultural and industrial powerhouse. The recent collapse of the auto industry, one of its signature industries embodies the transformational challenge the region faces--from literal invention and dominance of the mass-production factory economy to finding its place, products, and wealth-earning potential in a new global knowledge economy. Learning and research institutions, including two-year colleges, have played a huge role in the region's economic development. The author contends that they can also play the signature role in its future, but in new ways. The biggest challenge and opportunity is to take the expansive learning infrastructure built largely to serve the twentieth century agro-industrial economy and repurpose it to serve the emerging knowledge economy. Moreover, America must capitalize on it as a regional identifier, a magnet, and a source of comparative advantage.