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Ascendium’s Education Philanthropy | Division of Ascendium Education Group
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Erika Bailey
D’Wayne Bell
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Vinya Cherian Hershberger
Janice Hicks
Jillian Jarvis
Amy Kuether
Molly Lasagna
Carolynn Lee
Bethany Miller
Chaz Mohr
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News and Insights
Promising Solutions: Catapult Courses to Increase Credential Completion
Eight HBCUs Receive Funding to Explore Innovative Partnerships on Improving Mental Health among College Students of Color
Learning Communities Bring Together Rural College Leaders
Education Philanthropy Positions Will Enhance Evidence Based Grantmaking, Translate Evidence to Insights and Enrich Strategic Connections
Hold Up: What We Do and Don’t Know About the Impact of Holds on Postsecondary Student Success
Q&A: Molly Lasagna on the State of Postsecondary Education in Prison Ahead of Pell Restoration
Data Tools Help Stakeholders Identify and Support Rural and Rural Serving Institutions
Program Officer Perspectives: Kirstin Yeado Reflects on Rural Guided Pathways Work
Building Evidence to Increase Rural Learner Success
New Grant Opportunity Available: Building Evidence to Increase Rural Learner Success
COVID-19 Transfer Data Reveals Trends that Can Inform Equity and Student Success Policies
Engaging with Media Showcases Grant Partners’ Positive Impact on Inequity
Free Workforce Trainings Expanded to More Hawai’i Residents
Investments in Dev Ed Reform, Rural Workforce Training Among $17 Million+ in Recently Approved Grants
Merit America Skills Training Programs Generate Upward Socioeconomic Mobility
Caring Campus Makes Student Success Everyone’s Business, With Promising Results
Advancing Colleges in Appalachia
Local and Online Postsecondary Education Providers Partner to Offer In-Demand Career Credentials in Rural Areas
Families and Workers Fund Joins the White House and Partners to Announce More Than $70 Million in Infrastructure Workforce Funding Aligned with the Talent Pipeline Challenge
Biotechnology Industry Gets a Boost from Community College Degrees
Fund for Workforce Equity Organizations Selected
A Personal Message from Amy Kerwin
Social Media Spotlights Partner Innovations, Connects the Field
Investing in IT Career Training Pathways Shows Promise for Adult Learners
Partnership with The Chronicle of Higher Education Elevates Learner Voices
Postsecondary Education Trends We’re Watching in 2023
$69 Million+ in New Grants Highlighted by Investments in Job Pathways, Partnerships and More
The Power of Media to Advance Change for Learners
Jessa Valentine Joins Learning and Impact Team
CORI Research on Digital Skilling is Put into Practice
From Research to Practice: Holistic Credit Mobility Ensures Learning Counts
Q&A: AHEP's Ved Price on the State of Postsecondary Education in Prison Programs
Ascendium Announces Grant Partners for Building Evidence to Increase Rural Learner Success
Coalition of 15 Research Universities Awarded Grant to Boost Student Success in Key Courses
Grants to MDRC, CCRC Aim to Drive Change by Building Evidence
Keith Witham Named Ascendium’s Vice President of Education Philanthropy
A Message from Our New Vice President - Education Philanthropy, Keith Witham
Ready for Pell Initiative Brings Opportunities and Second Chances to Inmates
Community College Transfers to Four-Year Colleges Tumbled Almost 8% Last Fall
Ascendium Releases 2022 Education Philanthropy Report: Meeting the Moment
Partnerships in Action: NJCU and HCCC Team Up to Improve Transfer Outcomes
Three Takeaways from RAND Corporation’s Report: Assessing the Impact of COVID-19 on Prison Education
Perspectives from the Field: What it Takes to Translate Postsecondary Credentials to Upward Mobility
It’s Time to Change the Way We Think About Incarcerated Learners
Introducing Our New Program Officer for Strategic Engagement, Amy Kuether
Michigan Paves New Pathways for Transfer Students
Perspectives from the Field: Community Colleges Connect Learners to Credentials that Meet Local Workforce Needs
In Utah, Major Educational Gaps Exist for Incarcerated People. Here's What's Being Done
Amarillo College and Imperial Valley College Win Aspen Institute Prize for Community College Excellence
Recent Resources Show the Value of Good Workforce Training Programs
Targeted Investments Support Expansion of Evidence-Based Workforce Training Models
New Projects Examine Barriers for English-Language Learners
Why Supporting Financial Aid Administrators Is Key to Unlocking Opportunities for Incarcerated Learners
New Initiatives Aim to Cut Early Student Dropouts by Increasing Connection
Changes in Education Philanthropy Support Evolving Needs of Learners from Low-Income Backgrounds
Updated Tool Saves Time and Money to Improve Learner Outcomes
Q&A: UIA’s Bridget Burns on Helping Struggling Students Get Back on Track (Part 1)
Q&A: UIA’s Bridget Burns on Helping Struggling Students Get Back on Track (Part 2)
Helping Learners See a Clearer Path: Awareness Continues to Build Around Guided Pathways Framework
American International College Aims to Stem Region’s Talent Drain
New Functionality in CUNY Transfer Explorer
How a Coalition of Nonprofit, Private Colleges Is Tackling Economic Inequity
Validation Grant Guidance Released for Partners Evaluating Effectiveness of Innovations and Reforms
DSU Center to Target Adults with Unfinished Degrees
Why We Need to Pay Attention to Black Adult Learners
Keith Witham Reflects on His First Six Months as Vice President of Education Philanthropy
Free Job Trainings for Immediate Employment for Maui Residents
Strategic Media Partnerships Amplify Solutions to Rural Learners’ Challenges
Aligning Postsecondary Education Programs and Workforce Demands to Help Learners Access Good Jobs
Introducing our New Deputy Director of Education Grantmaking, Dr. Janice Hicks
Partners Reflect on Progress from Ascendium’s Rural Learner Success Initiative
New Resources Aim to Increase Understanding of CBE Program Designs
Preventing Second-Year Stop-Outs
Answering Questions About Learners and Employment Starts with Good Data
Postsecondary Education and Workforce Training Trends We’re Watching in 2024
In this shrinking Mississippi Delta county, getting a college degree means leaving home behind
A Boost for Skills Experiments
Ascendium Welcomes Three Members to Education Philanthropy Team
Grants to Community-Based Organizations Aim to Strengthen Workforce-Aligned Training Pathways for Rural Learners
Building Data-Driven Pathways to Good Jobs Through Community Partnerships
State-Level Initiatives Paving the Way for Postsecondary Education in Prison
Stackable Credentials: Making College Work for More Students
SUNY Prison Programs Get Funding
Michigan Community College Association Lays the Groundwork for State-Level Policy Changes
Ascendium's Education Philanthropy Announces Strategic Promotions to Elevate Impact
Open Campus to partner on collaborative reporting projects with Arizona, Montana, North Carolina, and Utah newsrooms
A Digital Skilling Initiative for Economic Growth
Game-Changing Access to Academic Materials in Prison
What We Have Learned — and Still Need to Learn — About Sectoral Training Programs
Roadtrip Nation Is Hitting the Road Again to Explore Postsecondary Education in Prison’s Positive Career Outcomes
Ascendium Releases 2023 Education Philanthropy Report, From Learning to Action
Scaling Up: Shrinking the DFW Rate
How Postsecondary Education in Prison Pathways Empower Incarcerated Learners to Reach Their Full Potential
Exploring Innovative Financing Models to Strengthen Talent Pipelines
Seeking to Boost Student Success in Appalachia
Ambitious Yet Vital: How Ohio is Preparing the STEM Workforce of Tomorrow
Report: A Convening of Rural Higher Education Institutions Aims to Provide Economic Mobility for Rural Learners
A Texas Community College Initiative Aims to Advance Equity and Opportunity for English-Language Learners
Q&A: Carolynn Lee Discusses How Social Finance Institute Could Help Improve Outcomes for Learners
Goodwill Grant Will Expand Training to Fill High Demand Jobs
Public Sector Apprenticeship Toolkit: Addressing Critical Workforce Shortages in State and Local Government
Community College Bachelor’s Degrees in Washington State: An Update on Enrollment, Completion, and Labor Market Outcomes
Assessing the Impact of COVID-19 on Prison Education: Future Implications
College and Career Possibilities Rooted in Place: How Rural Community College and Industry Partnerships Help People, Communities, and Businesses Thrive
The Challenges and Benefits of Pursuing Bachelor’s Programs at Rural-Serving Community Colleges
2023 Education Philanthropy Report: From Learning to Action
Measuring Student Success Beyond Completion: Involving Boards in the Metrics that Matter
Apprenticeship in America: Rethinking the Role of Community Colleges
PEP Reference Sheets
Case Study: People Inc.
Case Study: Upskill NWA
Case Study: Delta Compass
Lessons from Two Major Evaluations of Guided Pathways
Community College Bachelor’s Degrees in Texas: A First Look at Enrollment and Outcomes
Access to Success: Insights for Implementing a Multiple Measures Assessment System
Beyond Access: Advancing Racial Equity and Inclusion in Prison Education Programs
Accelerated Courses at Tennessee Community Colleges
Small Towns, Big Opportunities
Progress in Improving STEM Transfer Partnerships Pathways
Sector-Based Training Programs: An Approach to Achieving Equitable Labor-Market Outcomes and Upward Mobility
Transfer and Progress: Fall 2023 Report
Participation & Outcomes in SUNY College-in-Prison Programs
Leveraging Apprenticeships to Bolster the Rural Talent Pipeline: Part 2
Leveraging Apprenticeships to Bolster the Rural Talent Pipeline: Part 1
Normalizing Education Resource Center
Community Colleges and Apprenticeship: The Promise, the Challenge
Competency-Based Education (CBE) Program Model Mapping Project
Assessing the Use of Administrative Holds
Stay Informed Report: Fall 2023
Prison Education Program Web Center
Translating Opportunity: Improving Postsecondary Pathways for Multilingual Learners of English
Modernizing Postsecondary Policy to Better Support Adult Learners
A State Policy Framework for Developmental Education Reform
The Tennessee Coaching Project: Next Steps Advisors (Pilot Semester Overview)
Workforce Alignment Study: Maximizing Workforce Success for College Students
Learning from Students: How Teams Rethink Their STEM Transfer Process Through Student Input
Project Profile: Rural College Leaders Program: Catalyzing Institutions to Improve Student Outcomes
Project Profile: Exploring the Effectiveness of Skills Training and Wage-Based Incentive Programs on the Social Mobility of Rural Early Childhood Education Providers in Tennessee
Project Profile: The Effect of Institutional Programs and Practices on Low-Income Rural College Students’ Academic, Psychosocial, and Workforce-Related Outcomes
Project Profile: Surfacing the Needs of Paraeducators Enrolled in Rural Teacher Preparation Programs
Project Profile: Mapping Effective Mentorship for Rural Community College Students
Project Profile: Expanding College Access for Rural and Underserved People in Georgia
Project Profile: Family-Friendly Tribal and Rural Campuses
Sector Strategies for Workforce Development
Second Chance Pell: Six Years of Expanding Higher Education Programs in Prisons
Rural Educator Academy Cohort 1 Report Briefs
Report of the New England Commission on the Future of Higher Education in Prison
Implementing Caring Campus: Strategies College Presidents Use to Improve Culture and Support Reform
Learner Mobility and Transfer in Higher Ed
Stackable Credential Pipelines and Equity for Low-Income Individuals: Evidence from Colorado and Ohio
Do Low-Income Students Benefit from Stacking Credentials? Descriptive Evidence from Colorado and Ohio
States Can Take Steps to Address Potential Barriers to Equity in Stackable Credential Pipelines
The 2023 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence
From Degrees to Dollars: Six-Year Findings from the ASAP Ohio Demonstration
Advancing Rural Communities Through Apprenticeships and a Stronger Public-Sector Workforce (Part IV)
2022 Education Philanthropy Report: Meeting the Moment
Higher Ed’s Role in Growing Economies
Mapping Community College Finance Systems to Develop Equitable and Effective Finance Policy
Assessing the Impact of COVID-19 on Prison Education
Native Hawaiians & Pacific Islanders in Higher Education: A Collection of Campus Research to Inform Student Success
When Community Colleges Offer a Bachelor’s Degree: A Literature Review on Student Access and Outcomes
3rd Annual National Convening: Cross-Agency Collaboration for Evidence-Building
Improving Outcomes for Men of Color in College: Recommendations for Advancing Success in the “Dual Pandemics”
Transfer and Progress
Rural Community College Excellence: A Guide to Delivering Strong Opportunity for Students and Communities
Institutional Resilience in Puerto Rico and Rural Areas (Part III)
Rural Learning Systems: Talent Development in Hendry County
Rural Learning Systems: Driving Outcomes in Rural Texas
Short, Affordable College Alternatives Lead to Careers with Upward Mobility
Institutional Resilience in Puerto Rico: A First Look at Efforts by Puerto Rican HSIs
Recommendations to Inform the U.S. Department of Education’s Research and Evaluation Set-Aside Authority
Lessons From a Multi-College Transfer Partnership
Rural LISC Apprenticeship Toolkit
Future Opportunities for Rural Workforce and Rural Development (FORWARD) Curriculum
Designing Career and Technical Education Programs that Help Students Get Good Jobs
How Pell Restoration Can Foster Postsecondary Education Opportunities for Learners in Prison
Driving Economic Mobility Through Rural Education (Part II)
CAPR Multiple Measures Assessment Toolkit
Holistic Credit Mobility: Centering Learning in Credential Completion
Facilitating Institutional Transformation
Getting the Most Out of Short-Term Career and Technical Education Credentials
Funding Guided Pathways Reforms at Small Colleges: Three Ohio Community Colleges Show How to Do It
How Tools Support Coaches and Student Success Center Coaching Programs
Rural Works Highlights Report: Year 2
Strengthening Educational and Professional Outcomes in Rural Communities (Part I)
Why Community College Bachelor’s Degrees? Similarities and Differences Across Urban and Rural Settings
COVID-19 Transfer, Mobility and Progress: First Two Years of the Pandemic Report
The Next Phase of Placement Reform: Moving Toward Equity-Centered Practice
Rural Learning Systems: Improving Economic Opportunity in Rural Taos County
Rural Learning Systems: Regional Collaborative Changing Systems for Adults in Northern California
Ten Ways Institutional Coaching Makes A Difference
Structuring STEM Transfer Partnership Success: Report #1
Do the Details of Corequisite Supports Matter?
Categorization of Place-based, Postsecondary Learning Experiences for Rural Students
Implementing Caring Campus With Nonacademic Staff: Lessons From Participating Colleges
Preparing Rural Americans for the Postpandemic Economy: Lessons from Utah
Community College Bachelor’s Degrees in Florida: An Update on Enrollment and Labor Market Outcomes
Media Partnerships Call Attention to Critical Issues and Solutions
Building on Prior Learning to Test the Effectiveness of Solutions that Better Serve Learners
The Great Misalignment: Addressing the Mismatch between the Supply of Certificates and Associate’s Degrees and the Future Demand for Workers in 565 U.S. Labor Markets
Multi-State Postsecondary Report Dashboard
The Rural Reason to Focus on Workforce Policy with Manny Lamarre, Mary Wurtz and Andrew Campbell
The Key to Opening Doors with Kirstin Yeado, Shaniqua Corley-Moore and Mike Gutman
Incomplete: The Unfinished Revolution in College Remedial Education
Video Q&A: Ascendium’s Molly Lasagna and Ashley Parker on the Growing Focus of High-Quality Postsecondary Education in Prison
The Competency-Based Approach to Validated Learning in Higher Ed
Course Length and Student Success: Quantitative Analysis of 7-Week Courses
NACUBO Student Success Hub Highlights Financial Links to Equitable Student Outcomes
Building Resiliency in Rural Communities for the Future of Work: Preparing Students for the Digital Economy
The Key to Opening Doors with Joe E. Ross and Nancy Mondragon
JFF RISE Network Member Continues Planting Seeds of Opportunity
Credit Mobility Resources that Center the Success of Today’s Learners
$58 Million+ in New Grants Highlighted by Investments in Community Colleges, Sectoral Training, and More
Darden Program That Teaches Inmates Business Skills Goes National
NACUBO Student Success Hub
Alternative STEM Education: A Noncollege Path to Jobs for Students from Underrepresented Groups
New ATD Initiative Helps Usher Adult Learners into College – and Keep Them There
Why Do Students Stop Out of College?
Ascendium Education Group Awards Di Xu and Team $1.6 Million Grant to Investigate Noncredit Workforce Training Programs
Paying for Pre-Hire Training
Ascendium Explains: Credit Mobility
Can Digital Wallets Help Revitalize Public Trust in Higher Ed?
Working to Build Strong, Culturally Responsive Pathways for Rural Native Learners
How a New Fellowship Elevates Justice-Impacted Leaders in Postsecondary Education in Prison
Classifying Community College Programs by Post-Completion Success in Transfer and Workforce
HBCU Adult Learner Initiative: A Focus on Black Rurality
Ten Rural Partnerships Chosen for National Effort to Rethink and Revitalize Economies in Rural Communities
Amid Shifting Demographics, Panel Explores How Immigrants Strengthen Education and the Workforce
Redefining Rural
We’re Expanding Incarcerated Readers’ Access to News about Prison Education
New America Launch Accelerator for Community Colleges
Escape from Higher Ed’s Bermuda Triangle
Wakiya Foundation Works to Expand Pathways to Good Jobs for Rural Native Learners
Learners Benefit When Grantmakers Work with and Learn from Native-Led Organizations
How Postsecondary Institutions Are Using the NACUBO Student Success Hub to Align Finances With Learner Needs
The Profit Motive
The Microcredential Generation
From Some-College-No-Degree to Success: Postsecondary Pathways for the 40 Million
Trustees, Innovation, and Pathways to the Future of Work
Fourteen Year Gains: Project QUEST’s Remarkable Impact
Expanding Scope and Increasing Hope – The Transformative Role of Community Colleges with Ivy Love, Tiffany Thai, and Andrew Koricich, PhD
A Case for Greater Investments in Rural Postsecondary Education, Training, and Career Counseling with Jeff Strohl, Ph.D. and Kayla Elliott, Ph.D.
What One State Learned After a Decade of Free Community College
How Are Faculty, Staff and Students Really Using CUNY Transfer Explorer?
Breakthrough Moments from the Rural Guided Pathways Project
How Four Universities Graduate Their Low-Income Students at Much Higher Rates than Average
Community Colleges Emerge as Key Players in “Good Jobs Challenge”
Creating Nimble Teams: How Institutions Enable Transformational Change
NPower Working to Expand Access to High-Quality Pathways into Tech Jobs
A New Approach to the Teacher Shortage: Registered Apprenticeships
New Partnership to Bring “Micro-Pathways” to Arkansas Community Colleges
Five Key Takeaways From Ascendium’s First Convening on Postsecondary Education in Prison
2024 in Review: Ascendium’s Top Stories and Insights Driving Change
Arkansas Community Colleges Tap Education Design Lab to Expand College-to-Career Pipeline
Eight Strategies to Strengthen the Value of Community College Credentials
Strengthening Community Colleges in Place-Based Innovation Ecosystems
Technology Implementation for Higher Education in Prison
College Graduation Rates Are Up. We Can Thank Community Colleges.
Rural-Focused NCII Project Engages Community Colleges Implementing Guided Pathways Reforms
Chips and Higher Ed: What the Federal Investment Means for Colleges
Hispanic Communities — Powering a New American Economy
Inside the Only College Class in Texas To Help Prepare People for Life After Prison
What We’re LEARNing
Arizona is the Only State that Separates Students under English-Only Laws. A Mountain of Evidence Shows it Doesn’t Work.
Lessons on Scaling Corequisites: The City University of New York’s Transition From Prerequisite to Corequisite Academic Support
The Impact of Collaboration Between Community Colleges and Civic Partnerships with Dakota Pawlicki and Elaine Morgan
Postsecondary Education and Workforce Training Trends We’re Watching in 2025
Developing Innovation in Community Colleges: Examples from Rural-Serving Colleges
Looking Ahead to 2025
What’s Your Impact Episode with Gretchen Schmidt, PhD, Charles Lloyd, Ed.D. & Mark S. Bonta
Apprenticeships Are a Trending Alternative to College — but There’s a Hitch
Minnesota Promised Free College Tuition. Housing and Living Costs Still Loom Large
The Resiliency of Remedial Education
New Evidence and Next-Generation Questions on Shortened Course Formats
Merit America to Build New, Responsive Sectoral Training Pathways
Innovations to Support First-Year Success
Understanding Influencers in the World of Nondegree Credentials
Making the Case for More Apprenticeships in America: A Conversation With John Colborn, Executive Director, Apprenticeships for America
Evolving Our Grantmaking to Increase Impact: A Note from President and CEO Keith Witham
How Colorado Gov. Polis’ NGA Agenda Could Reshape America’s Workforce
Data Collection and Reporting of College Students with Incarceration Histories: An Update From the Field
Ascendium Releases 2024 Education Philanthropy Report, Shaping Our Future
The Power of Partnership: Building Strong STEM Transfer Connections
Rural Renaissance: New Initiative Aims to Revitalize Communities
Who Are Rural Learners? Their Community Context Matters.
Honoring Amy Kerwin
Strategies for Scaling Multiple Measures Assessment: Lessons from Arkansas
Building Momentum Toward Degree Attainment Through Contextualized English Courses
Responding to Rural Community College Student Needs Through “Be Great in 8”
Rural College Leaders Program: Supporting Rural Student Success Through Cohort-Based Leadership Development
Developing Dashboards to Share Data
Holistic Credit Mobility Strategies in Action
College Course Placement Based on Multiple Measures Assessment: A Synthesis of Two Experimental Evaluations
How Ascendium Supports Incarcerated Learners on Reentry Pathways
Focus on Missoula, Montana: Moving Away from its Legacy Industries to a More Diversified Economy
Positive Partnership: Developing Short Course Academic Pathways
The Best Interest Determination (BID) Toolkit: Guidance for Oversight Entities
Nevada Higher Ed Agency Joins Schools in Initiative to Smooth Transfer Process
App State-Based Research Alliance Awarded $7.2M to Launch Rural Talent Lab in 5 States
Learning from the Swiss Apprenticeship Model
Frequently Asked Questions About Ascendium’s Grantmaking
Terrain Leveling: Design Strategies for Improving Higher Education in Prisons
Innovation Economy: Fuel for the Engines
Which Community College Awards Are Likely to Prepare Students for Post-Completion Success?
Navigating Forward
Building an Apprenticeship System in Indiana: How the Hoosier State is Adapting the Swiss Model
N.C. Puts Big Money on Graduating More Community College Students in High-Wage Fields
More Students Complete Certificates, as Degree Earners Drop
A Policy and Practice Guide to Supporting Bachelor’s Programs at Rural Community Colleges
Ascendium Awards Grants to Scale Evidence-Informed Shortened Course Formats
Five New Education Philanthropy Members Fuel Grantmaking Momentum
The 2025 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence
Powering Rural Futures: A Special Series
Former Governor Dishes on Connecting Work and College