Resource Library | Ascendium Education Group, Inc. Skip to main content

EDUCATION PHILANTHROPY DIVISION OF ASCENDIUM EDUCATION GROUP

Resource Library

Sharing knowledge is at the heart of our mission. Explore Ascendium’s growing library of publications that examine the complex challenges facing postsecondary learners, and how we’re helping our partners address them.

Focus Area
accordion-plus icon accordion-minus icon
Resource Type
accordion-plus icon accordion-minus icon
Clear All Filters
pr resource
Excelencia in Education

Institutional Resilience in Puerto Rico: A First Look at Efforts by Puerto Rican HSIs

February 2023
Excelencia in Education conducted interviews at five Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) in Puerto Rico to learn more about their efforts in resilience over the last five years. This report identifies key efforts by those HSIs that demonstrate resilience, including overviews and strategies that can be used by postsecondary education institutions to improve opportunities for Latino learners.
Visit Site 
rural texas resource
Columbus Learning Center Management Corporation

Rural Learning Systems: Driving Outcomes in Rural Texas

February 2023
UpSkill Coastal Bend, a partner in the Rural Learning Systems cohort, is working to increase educational attainment and workforce training for learners across six rural counties in Texas. This article by CivicLab explains how the organization is connecting learners to postsecondary education and training for in-demand jobs. These include existing jobs and those that may come from the expansion and retention of businesses who need skilled workers.
Visit Site 
hendry co resource
Columbus Learning Center Management Corporation

Rural Learning Systems: Talent Development in Hendry County

February 2023
The FutureMakers Coalition, a partner in the Rural Learning Systems cohort, has brought together educators, employers, community organizations and others in rural Hendry County, Florida, to build better systems for boosting educational attainment and improving job training. This article shares what the coalition has done so far in their effort to get more learners from low-income backgrounds the education and training they need to meet the demands of skilled jobs in their communities.
Visit Site 
LISC
Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC)

Rural LISC Apprenticeship Toolkit

January 2023
The Apprenticeship Steering Committee, a county-based workforce collaborative that brings industry, workforce, postsecondary education, and community partners together to create a sustainable model for talent development via apprenticeships, developed this toolkit. Leaders in other rural regions may find the topics discussed and lessons learned applicable to furthering their workforce goals.
Visit Site 
moving fwd
Association of Public and Land-grant Universities

Future Opportunities for Rural Workforce and Rural Development (FORWARD) Curriculum

January 2023
Cooperative Extension professionals (CEPs) are embedded within many communities across the U.S. This curriculum was created to help CEPs leverage their experience and serve as facilitators of workforce solutions in rural communities. Using this curriculum will help them work with community stakeholders to design and implement career pathways that lead learners and workers from low-income backgrounds to in-demand jobs in rural places.
Visit Site 
Rural Matters
Rural Matters

Driving Economic Mobility Through Rural Education (Part II)

December 2022
The second in a four-part podcast series, representatives from Patrick & Henry Community College and the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program expand on the importance of community college partnerships that put the focus on crafting regional economic solutions. When community colleges establish partnerships with four-year institutions and local and regional employers, high-quality postsecondary education can be developed in alignment with local job needs. This creates economic opportunity for learners, especially those from low-income backgrounds.
Visit Site 
LISC resource
Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC)

Rural Works Highlights Report: Year 2

September 2022
Rural Works, an initiative of Rural Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), focuses on community-wide workforce development programming to support more rural workers. This report shares insights from the initiative’s second year, including expansion into more rural communities and the addition of growing workforce partnerships.
Visit Site 
Rural Matters
Rural Matters

Strengthening Educational and Professional Outcomes in Rural Communities (Part I)

September 2022
The first in a four part podcast series, five guests on this Rural Matters episode speak to timely issues in rural postsecondary education. This includes how to achieve better opportunities and outcomes, utilize meaningful partnerships and create pathways to education and career success. Leveraging the unique assets of rural communities, these partners elevate rural America as a viable place to live, learn and work.
Visit Site 
RuralLearningSystems2
Columbus Learning Center Management Corporation

Rural Learning Systems: Regional Collaborative Changing Systems for Adults in Northern California

August 2022
ProjectAttain! is a partner in the Rural Learning Systems cohort, collaborating with colleges, employers and a workforce board to improve educational attainment for adults in rural Northern California. This article details how the nonprofit is working with CivicLab to strengthen their partnerships so that more individuals with some college or skills training can achieve a credential or degree.
Visit Site 
RuralLearningSystems
Columbus Learning Center Management Corporation

Rural Learning Systems: Improving Economic Opportunity in Rural Taos County

August 2022
The Taos Education Collaborative (TEC), a partner in the Rural Learning Systems cohort, is spotlighted in this article by CivicLab. TEC brings businesses, educators and community organizations to the table to develop a homegrown workforce. Other rural communities can learn from TEC’s work to build stronger educational pipelines and clearer, better aligned pathways for postsecondary attainment and socioeconomic mobility.
Visit Site 
UofMReport
University of Montana

Categorization of Place-based, Postsecondary Learning Experiences for Rural Students

July 2022
Place-based learning is an outside-the-box approach to curriculum design. It integrates local and regional cultures, history and resources into educational curricula, making it a good fit for rural learners. It encourages them to be more engaged in postsecondary education by making it relevant to their lives and their communities. This resource includes case study profiles of rural institutions and how they utilize place-based learning programs.
View the PDF
PreparingRuralAmericans
The Conference Board

Preparing Rural Americans for the Postpandemic Economy: Lessons from Utah

June 2022
Rural communities face different labor market challenges than urban areas. However, there are opportunities for significant change as the U.S. emerges from the pandemic. This brief from The Conference Board looks at labor market challenges and solutions for rural America, using rural Utah as a case study.
Visit Site