Transforming Higher Education Policy and Practice in Prisons and Beyond
Exploration
This grant supports The Education Trust in developing two distinct but interconnected leadership development programs that will engage formerly incarcerated learners and postsecondary education in prison practitioners in an intentional learning exchange, producing nuanced reports and analysis and informing improvements to institutional practice.
Understanding Barriers to Refiling the FAFSA
Exploration
This grant supports MDRC in gaining an understanding of the reasons students in good academic standing who return to college do not refile the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The research will seek to quantify the impact the decision not to refile has on student retention.
Understanding Educational Space Needs in Prisons
Exploration
This grant supports Ithaka S+R in exploring intersections of high-quality postsecondary education in prison and physical space constraints that impact educational programming in prisons. The goal of the project is to conduct research and develop policy recommendations and design solutions that will allow prisons to maximize access to high-quality postsecondary education programming.
Understanding the Landscape of Higher Education in Prison
Exploration
This grant supports the Alliance for Higher Education in Prison in building local and national data infrastructure for the field of postsecondary education in prison, specifically centering ethical and equity considerations in the collection of student-level data.
UnlockED Feature Documentary
Scaling
This grant supports Unlocked The Film LLC in creating a documentary film featuring four incarcerated learners’ journeys to create an open-source learning management system they named UnlockED.
Unlocking Pathways to Upward Mobility: Building Bridges from Prison to Employment with Unlocked Labs
Exploration
This grant supports Unlocked Labs in continuing to develop innovative new tech-focused educational content and pathways to employment for justice-impacted individuals, as well as exploring funding models that can effectively sustain its programming.
Unlocking the Promise of Pell for Students in Prison
Scaling
This grant supports Vera Institute of Justice in providing meaningful and in-depth technical assistance, training and advising to new and existing Second Chance Pell Initiative college sites and their state corrections system partners. The goal is to ensure the implementation of high-quality postsecondary education in prison and to help the field grow a cohort of correctional administrators prepared to support the broad expansion of such programs.
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.
Women Of Color Leadership Summit
Other
This grant supports EquityWorksNW in convening a leadership summit for women of color in postsecondary education with the goal of supporting those leaders in designing and implementing institutional practices and policies that promote equitable student success.
Workforce Aligned Postsecondary Education: Understanding the Way Forward
Validation
This grant supports the Urban Institute in assessing which workforce-aligned approaches of postsecondary education institutions are most critical for the success of learners from low-income backgrounds in the labor market. The Urban Institute will conduct a multi-faceted research project, including a return on investment analysis that will ultimately provide information on promising and effective programs, policies, resources and strategies that support success for learners.
