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Ascendium Education Philanthropy is a division of Ascendium Education Group.

Media Partnerships

Our philanthropy amplifies important information across the nation, helping good ideas become systemic change for learners from low-income backgrounds.

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WHY MEDIA PARTNERSHIPS?

High-quality reporting and storytelling are vital for investigating, proposing, and disseminating systemic solutions to challenges faced by learners from low-income backgrounds. When media highlight problems alongside evidence-based solutions, successful practices have the potential to scale up. Media amplification can also encourage individual policymakers, communities, and government agencies to address critical issues in improving postsecondary education and workforce training outcomes. By framing and amplifying the issues critical to improving postsecondary education and workforce training outcomes, media partners get important information in front of those who can advocate for and make real, systemic change.

Learn more about how our media partnerships support learners from low-income backgrounds.

Building & Applying Strong Evidence About Postsecondary Success & Economic Mobility

Field Development
MDRC|$7,500,000|12/2022 - 5/2026
This grant supports MDRC in engaging in a continuous cycle of rigorous research, active dissemination and hands-on technical assistance that builds the capacity of colleges and workforce training providers to improve outcomes for learners from low-income backgrounds.

Supporting the Reimagine Rural Podcast

Field Development
The Brookings Institution|$250,000|6/2025 - 5/2026
This grant supports the Reimagining Rural Policy initiative at the Brookings Institution in producing its third season of the Reiminagining Rural podcast. The podcast explores how strategic public investment in rural communities can spur innovation and development, including the ways in which postsecondary education and workforce training are core to opportunity for rural learners.

Prevalence of Lived Experience in Leadership Positions

Field Development
The Urban Institute |$100,000|9/2024 - 3/2026
This grant supports Urban Institute in understanding the prevalence of lived experiences in or adjacent to the criminal justice system, including personal history of incarceration, among nonprofit organizational leaders. The project will identify best practices and develop data collection tools funders can use to understand the extent to which their grantees are led by individuals with relevant lived experience.

Supporting High Quality Journalism on Postsecondary Education Solutions

Field Development
Education Writers Association|$350,000|2/2025 - 1/2026
This grant supports Education Writers Association in enhancing small independent outlets’ capacity to report on postsecondary issues while providing training and opportunities for journalists across the country to cover local, rural, and national stories related to postsecondary education and workforce training.

Documenting Opportunities for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Learners

Field Development
Strada Collaborative LLC|$700,000|2/2024 - 1/2026
This grant supports Roadtrip Nation in producing a documentary film and additional video assets that showcase the voices and experiences of justice-impacted individuals who participated in postsecondary education opportunities while incarcerated. The documentary aims to build awareness about the positive impact of access to postsecondary education in prison and help incarcerated and formerly incarcerated learners see the relevance of postsecondary education to their life and career goals.

Highlighting Lessons Learned from the Developmental Education Reform Movement

Field Development
Georgetown University|$223,740|6/2024 - 12/2025
This grant supports FutureEd in producing a comprehensive review of learning from more than a decade of national developmental education reform efforts, highlighting promising strategies and issuing a renewed call for action.
View All Ascendium Grants