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EDUCATION PHILANTHROPY DIVISION OF ASCENDIUM EDUCATION GROUP

We believe in the promise of a better life no matter where you started – and the power of education and training beyond high school to transform the lives of learners from low-income backgrounds.

Learn More About Our Funding Strategy
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Our Focus Areas

We know learners from low-income backgrounds have the same abilities as high-income learners. Ascendium is working to change postsecondary and workforce training systems so that low-income learners have the same opportunities for academic and career success. To that end, we award exploration, validation and scaling grants in four focus areas that foster upward social mobility.

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Remove Structural Barriers to Success

Our grants help postsecondary institutions, systems and workforce training providers recognize and change deeply-rooted practices that inadvertently create obstacles for students with fewer social and financial resources.
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Streamline Key Learner Transitions

Complicated transitions can stall a learner’s progress. We support initiatives that seek to navigate important milestones in academic and workforce training journeys, from enrollment to transfers between institutions, to entry into the workforce.
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Expand Postsecondary Education in Prison

We know postsecondary education and workforce training have the power to disrupt cycles of poverty and improve employment prospects for people who have been incarcerated. Our grants advance increased access to quality programs and best practices in this growing field.
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Support Rural Postsecondary Education and Workforce Training

For too long, learners in rural communities have not benefitted from efforts to increase postsecondary access and success. We support efforts to help rural communities achieve educational and economic equity.

THE CHANGE WE SEEK

We hope our work contributes to a future where more learners from low-income backgrounds reach their education and career goals, equity gaps are eliminated and all postsecondary learning is valued and validated.

To assess the progress of our strategy on the changes we seek, we monitor data points related to first-year persistence, degree and credential completion, time to completion and job placement. 

News and Updates

November 19, 2020 Newsletter

Training for Online Math Teaching, a New Rural Podcast Series and New Resources

  • College Math Instructors Praise Timely Training for Online Teaching
  • Vera Institute of Justice Works to Develop Guidelines and Supports for Postsecondary Education in Prison
  • Podcasts Raise Up Leaders in Rural Places
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November 18, 2020 Press Release

Ascendium Education Group, Employees Step Up Community Support

2020 was an extraordinary year that brought big challenges for the Madison-area community across both racial justice issues and the cornonavirus pandemic. While Ascendium Education Group’s philanthropic mission as a national funder focuses on the power of education and training beyond high school to transform the lives learners from low-income backgrounds, we recognize the importance of flexibility and responsiveness in times of crisis and needs in the community in which the majority of our employees live and work. This is why we have stepped up to meet these extraordinary needs with more than $440,000 in support for our community.

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October 22, 2020 Newsletter

Maintain Momentum Grants Top $4.5 million, Plus New Fellowships, Resources, Grants and Events

  • Maintain Momentum Initiative Supports AAC&U, NCAN, Yes We Must
  • Education Writers Association, Ed Trust Launch Fellowship Programs
  • How-to Guide will Benefit Community College Leaders and Stakeholders
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