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.
Strengthening Media Coverage of Postsecondary Education Topics
The Education Writers Association fosters the community of education writers to increase the amount of high-quality, thoughtful media coverage nationwide.
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.
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.
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 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.
Documenting an Innovative Path to Workforce Training for Incarcerated Learners
UnlockED: The Film features four incarcerated learners as they produce a learning management system that would improve postsecondary education in prison.
Expanding Coverage of Postsecondary Education and Workforce Training in Rural America
The Rural News Network builds capacity for rural news outlets to explore postsecondary education and workforce training issues receiving little to no coverage.
Elevating Student Parents’ Experiences in Postsecondary Education
Three Frame Media’s short film on student parents celebrates and elevates their belonging in postsecondary education.Supporting Work Shift and The Job's National Reporting on Workforce Training Pathways
Other
This grant supports Work Shift News, a project of Open Campus Media, Inc., in continuing and expanding its reporting focused on trends, opportunities, and challenges in postsecondary education and workforce training.
Supporting National Reporting on Postsecondary Education in Prison and Rural Postsecondary Education and Workforce Training
Other
This grant supports Open Campus Media Inc in continuing and expanding its reporting focused on postsecondary education and workforce training issues impacting learner populations at the core of Ascendium’s philanthropic mission including incarcerated learners and rural learners from low-income backgrounds.
Supporting National Reporting on Postsecondary Education and Workforce Training
Other
This grant supports The Hechinger Report (Hechinger), a publication of the Teachers College at Columbia University, in producing high-quality reporting on emerging trends, challenges, and promising solutions in postsecondary education and workforce training. While continuing to distribute content through its primary website and newsletter outlets, Hechinger will broaden its reach via social media and by partnering with 200+ national news outlets.
Maintain Momentum: Supporting Postsecondary Education Membership Organizations and Networks
Scaling
This grant supports Community Colleges of the Appalachian Region and its members in continuing to advance student success reforms despite COVID-19-related impacts.
Supporting the Future U. Podcast 7th Season
Other
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. Future U. will produce four episodes that specifically explore issues related to and insights generated from Ascendium’s grantmaking.
Maintain Momentum: Supporting Postsecondary Education Membership Organizations and Networks
Scaling
This grant supports Achieving the Dream and its members in continuing to advance student success reforms despite COVID‐19‐related impacts.
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