Media Partnerships

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

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.

Bringing Forward Underserved Learners’ Experiences

The Chronicle of Higher Education’s Different Voices of Student Success lifts underserved learners’ experiences and shares best practices for supporting them.

Bringing Forward Underserved Learners’ Experiences

A $750,000 grant supports The Chronicle of Higher Education in developing content for its Different Voices of Student Success online resource center. This resource center showcases the voices of underserved learners and shares insights on improving learner outcomes, social mobility, and worker reskilling. The resource center’s goal is to provide information and tools so that postsecondary education leaders and faculty members may better serve their diverse populations.

Explore learner stories and best practices in the online resource center.

Connecting Postsecondary Education, Training, and Work

The Job, a weekly newsletter from Work Shift News, provides in-depth coverage on education, training, and work, equipping policymakers and others with the information they need to act on it.

Connecting Postsecondary Education, Training, and Work

A $420,000 grant supports Work Shift’s newsletter, The Job, in expanding its coverage of three key areas: apprenticeships, community college “opportunity hubs,” and state policy. As part of Work Shift’s goal to deliver actionable information and news, dedicated journalist Paul Fain covers rapidly evolving education-to-work issues and considers how postsecondary education and job training systems can better serve learners and workers from low-income backgrounds.

Subscribe to The Job for weekly updates connecting education and the workforce.

Empowering Incarcerated Learners on their Postsecondary Education Journeys

Roadtrip Nation’s video and digital storytelling on postsecondary education in prison connects incarcerated learners, and those who support them, with narratives to help them define their own road in life.

Empowering Incarcerated Learners on their Postsecondary Education Journeys

A $700,000 grant supports Roadtrip Nation’s production of a documentary film, an interview series, and other videos focusing on postsecondary education in prison. Slated for broadcast on PBS, which is available in prisons, the documentary aims to build awareness of the positive impact of postsecondary education in prison while helping currently and formerly incarcerated learners see the relevance of postsecondary education to their lives and career goals.

Explore Roadtrip Nation’s video library and follow their postsecondary education in prison road trip.

Highlighting Solutions in Postsecondary Education and Workforce Training

The Hechinger Report produces high-quality reporting on research, reforms, and promising solutions with the goal of improving the American education system.

Highlighting Solutions in Postsecondary Education and Workforce Training

A $350,000 grant supports The Hechinger Report in producing high-quality reporting on emerging trends, challenges, and promising solutions in postsecondary education and workforce training. The Hechinger Report connects education news to systematic problems spanning the country, with recent emphasis on rural areas. By highlighting solutions with the aim of improving American education, The Hechinger Report elevates important reforms, relevant research, and best practices to improve learner access, enrollment, and degree completion.

Supporting National Reporting on Postsecondary Education in Prison

Open Campus’ biweekly newsletter College Inside investigates the future of postsecondary education in prison by focusing on incarcerated learners’ stories.

Supporting National Reporting on Postsecondary Education in Prison

A portion of a $600,000 grant supports Open Campus in developing in-depth stories covering postsecondary education in prison. One of the outputs of this grant is College Inside, a biweekly newsletter about the future of postsecondary education in prison. The dedicated reporter, Charlotte West, addresses questions such as who is responsible for ensuring that postsecondary education in prison programs are of high quality and what the education options and outcomes are for incarcerated learners.

Subscribe to the College Inside newsletter to stay updated on postsecondary education in prison reporting and stories.

Supporting National Reporting on Rural Postsecondary Education and Workforce Training

Open Campus’ bimonthly newsletter Mile Markers explores the voices and issues shaping postsecondary education and workforce training in rural communities.

Supporting National Reporting on Rural Postsecondary Education and Workforce Training

A portion of a $850,000 grant supports Open Campus in in-depth stories covering rural postsecondary education and workforce training. One of the outputs of this grant is Mile Markers, a bimonthly newsletter about the role of colleges in rural America. Another output is the awarding of funds to local newsrooms, allowing them to dedicate time to nuanced, impactful coverage of postsecondary education topics in their communities.

Subscribe to the Mile Markers newsletter to stay updated on rural reporting and stories.

Strengthening Media Coverage of Postsecondary Education Topics

The Education Writers Association is the go-to resource for education writers, supporting the expansion of high-quality, thoughtful media coverage nationwide.

Strengthening Media Coverage of Postsecondary Education Topics

A $150,000 grant supports the Education Writers Association (EWA) in strengthening the quality of national postsecondary education media coverage through programming and micro-fellowships. As part of their mission to better inform the public about education topics, EWA produces a diverse selection of online resources, webinars, and training events. The programming sponsored by Ascendium focuses on removing structural barriers to postsecondary education success for learners from low-income backgrounds.

Learn more about EWA’s programming and training opportunities.

Reporting on Postsecondary Education Pathways in Wisconsin

Wisconsin Watch, one of the nation’s longest-standing nonprofit newsrooms, helps residents explore pathways to improving their communities and lives.

Reporting on Postsecondary Education Pathways in Wisconsin

A $400,000 grant supports Wisconsin Watch in developing a Pathways to Success reporting team in Wisconsin. This team will provide in-depth postsecondary education coverage that centers the experience of learners, families, and employers. Wisconsin Watch’s reporting will investigate critical issues affecting learners and their communities, including access to postsecondary education for underrepresented learners, the efficacy of workforce training programs, and pathways to success for nontraditional learners.

Read in-depth postsecondary education coverage from Wisconsin.

Listening to What’s Next in Postsecondary Education

Academic Intelligence’s Future U. podcast series examines the postsecondary education landscape through interviews with national thought leaders and innovators.

Listening to What’s Next in Postsecondary Education

A $60,000 grant supports Academic Intelligence’s production of the Future U. podcast series. Hosted by Jeff Selingo and Michael Horn, Future U. features interviews with national thought leaders and innovators who are working to improve learner success in postsecondary education. Each season includes two themed episodes exploring issues related to, and insights generated from, Ascendium’s grantmaking.

Subscribe to the podcast and sign up for the newsletter.

GRANTS FOR FIELD SUPPORT AND DEVELOPMENT

Media partnerships are an important part of Ascendium’s field support and development efforts.

Maintain Momentum: Supporting Postsecondary Education Membership Organizations and Networks

Field Development

American Association of State Colleges and Universities|$1,966,060|7/2020 - 12/2022

This grant supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities and its members in continuing to advance student success reforms despite COVID-19-related impacts.

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Senior Program Officer

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Media Partnerships

WHY MEDIA PARTNERSHIPS?

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

Bringing Forward Underserved Learners’ Experiences

Connecting Postsecondary Education, Training, and Work

Empowering Incarcerated Learners on their Postsecondary Education Journeys

Highlighting Solutions in Postsecondary Education and Workforce Training

Supporting National Reporting on Postsecondary Education in Prison

Supporting National Reporting on Rural Postsecondary Education and Workforce Training

Strengthening Media Coverage of Postsecondary Education Topics

Reporting on Postsecondary Education Pathways in Wisconsin

Listening to What’s Next in Postsecondary Education

GRANTS FOR FIELD SUPPORT AND DEVELOPMENT

Maintain Momentum: Supporting Postsecondary Education Membership Organizations and Networks

Subscribe and Stay Connected

AmyKuether

FIELD SUPPORT
AND DEVELOPMENT

Amy
Kuether