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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.

Expanding Coverage of Postsecondary Success and Workforce Training in Rural America

Field Development
Institute for Nonprofit News|$75,000|6/2023 - 5/2024
This grant supports the Institute for Nonprofit News’ Rural News Network in collaborating with five rural newsrooms to develop greater coverage of postsecondary education and workforce training issues in rural communities and highlight the experiences of rural learners.

Assessing the Pandemic's Impact on Postsecondary Education in Prison

Field Development
RAND Corporation|$303,592|12/2020 - 4/2024
This grant supports The RAND Corporation in assessing the near- and long-term impacts of COVID-19 on postsecondary education in prison. Promising practices and responses to the pandemic that are being employed by corrections departments, colleges and universities, and postsecondary practitioners will be identified and disseminated to the field and key stakeholders.

Transfer Funders Group Facilitation & Planning

Field Development
Sova Solutions|$51,500|5/2023 - 4/2024
This grant supports Sova Solutions in facilitating a planning process for the transfer funders group created informally by Ascendium and other postsecondary education funders in 2020. This process will explore the continued role of the network, including the potential for funding collaboration in support of shared grantmaking priorities related to transfer and credit mobility.

Developing a Proxy Measure of Income in NSC Research Publications

Field Development
National Student Clearinghouse Research Center|$705,681|11/2022 - 2/2024
This grant supports National Student Clearinghouse Research Center (the Center) in pioneering a new measure of income and incorporate analysis by income level into research reports. By further developing a new measure, the Center will have a replicable approach for disaggregating outcomes by students’ income background in its signature annual publications.

Support for EWA Training on Postsecondary Education Topics

Field Development
Education Writers Association|$150,000|5/2023 - 12/2023
This grant supports the Education Writers Association in strengthening the quality of national postsecondary education media coverage. The grant supports a mix of programming that focuses on removing structural barriers to postsecondary education success for learners from low-income backgrounds.

Building Support for Community College Leaders

Field Development
New Venture Fund|$75,000|9/2023 - 12/2023
This grant supports the National Center for Inquiry and Improvement in planning a support network for community college presidents. Planning will include a convening to engage leaders to outline needs for support as they navigate increasingly challenging operating environments and obstacles in trying to advance student-centered reforms.
View All Ascendium Grants