News

Diverse Group Works to Strengthen Pathways at Michigan Community Colleges

With a grant from Ascendium, leaders from Michigan’s community colleges have been discussing how to build stronger and more equitable pathways to and through workforce programs for learners from low-income backgrounds. Convened by the Michigan Community College Association through its Michigan Center for Student Success, leaders have engaged with others across the state and heard from national experts on strategies guided by evidence-based practices.

Ascendium Gifts $2.5 Million to The Center for Black Excellence and Culture

Ascendium has gifted $2.5 million to The Center for Black Excellence and Culture, becoming the third major donor in The Center’s capital campaign. The Center will inspire, encourage and showcase Black excellence in the Madison, Wisconsin, area and beyond.

Over $11M in New Grants, Innovative Reentry Campus Program Delivery, New Education Philanthropy Team Member and More

• Over $11 Million Invested in Grants to Support Community College Student Success, Postsecondary Completion and More
• Reentry Campus Program Takes Innovative Approach to Delivering Postsecondary Education in Prison
• Education Philanthropy Team Welcomes New Hire with Community College System Expertise

Arkansas, Montana and Oklahoma Lead Initiative To Improve College Completion Rates

Complete College America has selected state higher education agencies in Arkansas, Montana and Oklahoma as inaugural members of its Policy, Equity and Practice network. With Ascendium’s support, the initiative will engage state higher education agencies from each state, which will convene a cohort of colleges and universities to help historically underserved students to complete college.

Second Chance Month Brought Needed Attention To Justice-Impacted Individuals. Now The Real Work Begins.

Lucretia Murphy of Jobs for the Future (JFF) discusses ongoing efforts to support incarcerated learners, both before and after release. This includes Ascendium’s Ready for Pell initiative, for which JFF is an intermediary partner.

Over $11 Million Invested in Grants to Support Community College Student Success, Postsecondary Completion and More

Recently, Ascendium approved new grants totaling over $11 million. These grants support a range of work, including but not limited to, student success at community colleges, the organization of stakeholders across multiple states to address the challenges of postsecondary education in prison regionally and technical assistance to rural community colleges interested in applying for federal grant dollars.

Reentry Campus Program Takes Innovative Approach to Delivering Postsecondary Education in Prison

Ascendium recently provided support to Rhode Island’s Reentry Campus Program (RCP), which helps accelerate currently and formerly incarcerated learners’ academic progress using prior learning assessment and other support strategies. We connected with RCP Co-Founder and Executive Director James Monteiro about the inspiration behind RCP and the importance of prior learning assessment for incarcerated learners.

Education Philanthropy Team Welcomes New Hire with Community College System Expertise

Ascendium’s Education Philanthropy is excited to share a new program officer has joined our team! Valerie Crespín-Trujillo will support strategic grantmaking in our Streamline Key Learner Transitions and Support Rural Postsecondary Education and Workforce Training focus areas. Her valuable knowledge and experience with community college systems makes her a great addition to our team, and we look forward to exploring how those experiences can inform our future grantmaking.

Support for Incarcerated Learners through New Coding Course, New Projects that Aim to Link Learner Transition Data and More

• Coding Course Prepares Incarcerated Learners for Careers in Technology
• Ascendium Invests in Projects that Link
  Postsecondary Education and Workforce Data
• Over 500 Apprentices Receive Tools of the Trade
  Scholarships

Coding Course Prepares Incarcerated Learners for Careers in Technology

For the first time, the LaunchCode Foundation graduated a cohort of incarcerated learners from its foundational coding and web development training and employment course last month. Supported by Ascendium, the course provides coding instruction for incarcerated learners nearing release. The goal of the project is to increase workforce training opportunities and improve employment outcomes for incarcerated adults while providing a pathway to further education.