Accelerating Just Transformation in the Foundational Postsecondary Experience
Exploration
This grant supports the Gardner Institute, through the Accelerating Just Transformation in the Foundational Postsecondary Experience (TFPE) project, in working with cohorts of colleges with growing populations of first-generation, low-income and minoritized student populations to redesign the first-year student experience. TFPE will enable institutions to redesign practices that impede success for learners from low-income backgrounds and identify and act on targeted reforms to promote equitable student success.
Supporting Expansion of a Jobs-First Higher Education Model in Healthcare
Exploration
This grant supports Propel America in preparing for growth of its short-term, credit-bearing training that leads to an industry-validated credential and employment in healthcare jobs for young adults from low-income backgrounds without a postsecondary degree.
Employability Skills for HEP Curriculum
Exploration
This grant supports the QA Commons in integrating employability skills and college transitions supports into the Missouri Department of Corrections' Career and Technical Education programs for incarcerated learners.
Rural Research Support Partner
Exploration
This multi-year, Ascendium-led grant supports American Institutes for Research in managing Ascendium’s multi-year research initiative to support action-oriented research aimed at addressing critical gaps in the evidence available to inform scaled and sustained improvements in the postsecondary and workforce outcomes of low-income learners in rural geographies.
THEI Technical Assistance
Exploration
This grant supports the Tennessee Higher Education Initiative in developing student facing resources, providing technical assistance to the Tennessee Department of Correction, and providing training and support to other prison education programs nationally.
Pathways to Success for Adults with Some College but No Degree
Validation
This grant supports the Tennessee Board of Regents in using insights from prior Ascendium-funded research to redesign the experience of adults with some college but no degree who reconnect with college. Designed as a randomized control trial, the project will evaluate how the redesign of the reconnecting semester for adults returning to community college impacts persistence, completion and time to degree.
Addressing Inequity in College Retention of Low-Income Students: Collaboratively Creating Pathways to Careers in Four-Year Degree Programs
Exploration
This grant supports the Yes We Must Coalition in helping 10 member institutions adopt reforms to strengthen career advising and outcomes for learners. Participating institutions will redesign one to two bachelor's degree pathways to better connect learning with career opportunities in those fields of study.
Expanding Business Education and Employment Opportunity in Postsecondary Education in Prison Programs
Exploration
This grant supports Resilience Education in expanding a consortium of leading business and law schools delivering credit-bearing business and financial skills courses in prisons. Resilience will develop new curriculum, build partnerships with additional professional schools and corrections facilities and create new employer partnerships to increase the number of learners gaining professional skills and finding employment after release.
Sustaining and Scaling Equitable Educational Practices
Scaling
This grant supports the Tennessee Board of Regents, the governing body for the College System of Tennessee, in scaling high impact practices and applying learning mindset research to create more supportive classrooms throughout the system.
Serving Rural America though Land-Grant Colleges & Universities: Unlocking the Workforce Development Potential of Extension Services
Exploration
This grant supports the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems in strengthening the capacity of Land Grant University Cooperative Extension offices to advance postsecondary access and success for learners in rural communities.