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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.

Supporting Reporting on Indigenous Communities, Identity, and Postsecondary Education

Field Development
Indij Public Media|$250,000|12/2024 - 11/2026
This grant supports Indij Public Media in expanding national reporting on postsecondary education and workforce training for Native learners and communities.

Strategic Evidence Planning Cohort

Field Development
Project Evident Inc|$1,150,200|11/2025 - 10/2026
This grant supports Project Evident in engaging with six Ascendium-funded partners to develop roadmaps for generating the data and evidence needed for internal learning, program improvement, and communication of impact.

Reporting on Postsecondary Education and Workforce Training in Wisconsin

Field Development
Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism|$400,000|10/2024 - 9/2026
This grant supports Wisconsin Watch in establishing new “Pathways to Success” reporting to cover postsecondary topics, trends, challenges, and solutions across the state.

Connecting the Justice-Impacted Community to Pre-entry Resources

Field Development
Our Community Ltd|$230,000|9/2024 - 8/2026
This grant supports Milwaukee-based Our Community in producing and expanding its bi-monthly prison newsletter, which is distributed to more than 8,000 incarcerated individuals in Wisconsin and provides resources and information to support success after release.

Supporting the Future U. Podcast

Field Development
Academic Intelligence|$105,000|9/2024 - 8/2026
This grant supports Academic Intelligence in producing the Future U. podcast series, which features interviews with national thought leaders and innovators working to improve student success in postsecondary education.

Covering the Future of Work

Field Development
WorkingNation|$140,000|9/2024 - 8/2026
This grant supports WorkingNation in expanding its reporting related to postsecondary education and workforce training, both broadly as national issues and in relation to rural communities and in carceral settings, specifically. The grant also supports focused reporting on specific workforce opportunities in cities and towns across the nation in collaboration with mayors and local leaders in those places.
View All Ascendium Grants