News

Ascendium Grows its Team to Further Our Grantmaking, Bringing Together Rural College Leaders and More

• Education Philanthropy Positions Will Enhance Evidence Based Grantmaking, Translate Evidence to Insights and Enrich Strategic Connections
• Learning Communities Bring Together Rural College Leaders
• Proposals Still Being Accepted for Fund for Workforce Equity

Education Philanthropy Positions Will Enhance Evidence Based Grantmaking, Translate Evidence to Insights and Enrich Strategic Connections

Ascendium’s Education Philanthropy is hiring for three mission-critical positions. These roles underscore our commitment to evidence-based grantmaking and will deepen our capacity to tell essential stories that amplify partners’ important work. This growth will also advance Ascendium’s thought leadership in the fields in which we operate and bolster our ability to share insights with those best positioned to improve outcomes for learners from low-income backgrounds.

Read About Our New Team Supporting Incarcerated Learners, Help Us Shape Our Future Communications and More

• Introducing Our New Expand Postsecondary Education in Prison Team
• Help Us Evolve Our Communications
• Informed Self-Placement Engages Students in the College Placement Process, With Encouraging Results

Eight HBCUs Receive Funding to Explore Innovative Partnerships on Improving Mental Health among College Students of Color

The Transformational Partnerships Fund (TPF) awarded $50,000 to eight Historically Black Colleges and Universities to pursue collaborative efforts to improve mental health support for their students. The TPF provides colleges and universities support to explore student-centric partnerships that foster reliable, high-quality educational opportunities for diverse learners.

Informed Self-Placement Engages Students in the College Placement Process, With Encouraging Results

A new report from the Center for the Analysis of Postsecondary Readiness (CAPR) suggests that Informed Self-Placement (ISP) has the potential to increase the number of students enrolling in and completing college-level math and English courses during their first year. This in turn increases students’ chances of completing their degree.

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.

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.

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