News

A Personal Message from Amy Kerwin

Please take a moment to read this personal message from Vice President - Education Philanthropy Amy Kerwin.

A Farewell Message from Amy Kerwin

• A Personal Message from Amy Kerwin
• Reflections on Visiting Sing Sing, Plus Resources That Center Incarcerated Learners
• Fund for Workforce Equity Organizations Selected

Ascendium and Its Employees Increase Community Support in 2022

While 2022 saw much of the country finally turn a corner on the challenges posed by the COVID-19 health crisis, for many nonprofit organizations, there is little time to relax. These organizations require sustained funding and resources to meet the needs of community members even in the best of times. During times of hardship, those needs are exacerbated. That's why Ascendium stepped up its support this year with over $6.6 million in giving to nonprofits where its employees live and work.

Fund for Workforce Equity Organizations Selected

Workforce Matters is a national network of grantmakers working together to strengthen workforce development policy and advance equitable education and employment outcomes. They recently announced their selection of 15 organizations to receive grants from the Fund for Workforce Equity. Ascendium is pleased to support the Fund as insights gained from the selected projects will inform our grantmaking across many of our strategic priorities.

Reflections on Visiting Sing Sing, Plus Resources That Center Incarcerated Learners

In September, members of Ascendium’s Education Philanthropy team visited Sing Sing Correctional Facility, where they had the opportunity to meet directly with the facility’s students. We’ve gathered some reflections on that visit, as well as a trio of nationally distributed resources that uplift the voices of incarcerated learners and the work being done to help this population succeed.

Partnerships Help Offer Rural Learners In-Demand Career Credentials, Promising Caring Campus Results and More

• Local and Online Postsecondary Education Providers Partner to Offer In-Demand Career Credentials in Rural Areas
• Caring Campus Makes Student Success Everyone’s Business, With Promising Results

Efforts to Provide Economic Opportunity to Immigrants and Refugees in Rural Communities

A two-year initiative supported by Jobs for the Future, WES Mariam Assefa Fund and Ascendium will help connect immigrants, migrants and refugees in rural communities to workforce training opportunities that lead to good jobs. A cohort of selected organizations will design, implement and/or expand postsecondary education opportunities for this population of rural learners from low-income backgrounds.

Biotechnology Industry Gets a Boost from Community College Degrees

Although bachelor's degrees are traditionally earned at four-year institutions, 25 states have authorized community colleges to offer affordable bachelor's degrees. This expands opportunities for learners from low-income backgrounds to achieve their career goals. In California, MiraCosta College has launched the nation’s first biomanufacturing bachelor’s degree. It’s partnerships with the industry ensure graduates are prepared to meet the workforce needs of Fortune 500 companies in biotechnology.

Local and Online Postsecondary Education Providers Partner to Offer In-Demand Career Credentials in Rural Areas

Rural postsecondary institutions often lack the resources to offer bachelor’s degree programs in locally in-demand fields that lead to well-paying jobs. One solution is to supplement local postsecondary courses and training with online offerings that can be completed from any location. Ascendium’s recent awards to the Wakiya Foundation and to Reach University support postsecondary education credentials resulting from partnerships between local and online postsecondary providers. These partnerships lead to options for learners from low-income backgrounds to pursue family-sustaining careers where they live.

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

The White House Talent Pipeline Challenge resulted in grants totaling $70 million to support equitable development of the infrastructure workforce, especially in rural areas and for underrepresented groups. Ascendium and peer organizations contributed to these funds.