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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.

Covering the Future of Work

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.

Creating Enabling Conditions for Adult Reskilling in Rural America through Narrative

New York University|$277,100|7/2024 - 6/2026
This grant supports New York University’s Marron Institute in producing national reporting, communications, and a multimedia web project to raise the profile of rural workers and educational pathways in Appalachia. The project will highlight strategies to help more rural low-income workers in the region, and in other rural regions, to complete postsecondary education and workforce training programs aligned to local economies.

Workforce Development Grantmaking in Native Nations and Communities Initiative

Workforce Matters|$150,000|5/2023 - 6/2026
This grant supports Workforce Matters in building the capacity of workforce organizations serving American Indian communities. Through subgrants and technical assistance, Workforce Matters will support workforce training organizations in accessing local labor market data and leveraging federal and private funding opportunities to improve postsecondary education and training opportunities.

Documenting Opportunities for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Learners

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.

Supporting High Quality Journalism on Postsecondary Education Solutions

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.

Expanding and Sharing the Evidence Base of Key Student Success Reforms

Teachers College, Columbia University|$7,000,000|12/2022 - 12/2025
This grant supports the Community College Research Center in deepening the evidence base across a range of student success reform areas and conducting syntheses of current research in practitioner-oriented briefs and through an update to the pivotal book, “Redesigning America’s Community Colleges,” which launched the national guided pathways movement.
View All Ascendium Grants