Convening a Student Success Advisory Council
Exploration
This grant supports the Southern Regional Education Board in convening a student success advisory council focused on supporting students from rural and low-income backgrounds.
Upskilling Rural Americans in a Post-pandemic Economy
Exploration
This grant supports The Conference Board in hosting a convening to determine best practices for training and upskilling in rural and low-income areas. A strategic summary of actionable recommendations and a social media media campaign will highlight the overall effort.
Co-Designing Equitable Pathways in Appalachia
Exploration
This grant supports the Institute for Educational Leadership in exploring the implementation of a framework for career partnerships with a cohort of community colleges across the Appalachia region. They plan to leverage their robust Appalachian Workforce Network and use this convening to build buy-in and solidify goals for future work across the region.
2021 Rural Matters Podcast
Scaling
This grant supports Michael Levin-Epstein in producing an eight-part podcast series focused on postsecondary education and workforce training in rural communities on the Rural Matters podcast.
Defining What It Means to Be a Rural-Serving Postsecondary Institution
Validation
This grant supports Appalachian State University and researchers from the Alliance for Research on Regional Colleges in utilizing and analyzing various data sources to develop a formal definition of operating as a “rural serving postsecondary institution.” The team will create a series of interactive data tools, corresponding documentation and a list of institutions that meet this definition.
Guided Pathways Implementation in Iowa’s Community Colleges
Scaling
This grant supports the Iowa Department of Education in implementing a set of systemic guided pathways reforms that will improve student outcomes and reduce equity gaps.
Credit for Experience: Leveraging Prior Learning Assessments in Prison
Exploration
This grant supports Reentry Campus Program in refining their program delivery model to increase the meaningful use of prior learning assessments and wraparound services for incarcerated students in Rhode Island. Setting the stage for broad dissemination, the organization will work to codify the program design, cost structure and associated student outcomes.
Assessing Training Success through Place-Based and Geographic-Agnostic Program Models
Scaling
This grant supports Merit America in testing service delivery models for learners engaged in place-based programs and those engaged in geographic-agnostic programs to compare learner completion and job placement outcomes and inform plans for scale.
Exploring Pathways to Sustainable Digital Employment in Rural Communities
Exploration
This grant supports the Center on Rural Innovation in researching foundational questions related to building an inclusive tech workforce in rural America. Research will be synthesized into a public-facing report that will drive real impact on creating skilling pipelines, localizing outsourced tech jobs and leveraging the power of remote work in rural areas—ultimately setting the stage for low-income rural learners to achieve their academic and career goals in the fast-growing, high-paying fields of the digital economy.
Degrees When Due
Validation
This grant supports the Institute for Higher Education Policy in conducting the impact research component of the Degrees When Due initiative, a national effort to advance degree reclamation for the “some-college, no-degree” population. This research includes an examination of current degree reclamation strategies and student-level postsecondary and employment outcome data.