News

Coalition of 15 Research Universities Awarded Grant to Boost Student Success in Key Courses

At most campuses, large, introductory courses typically have the highest DFW rates – ­the percentage of students who receive grades of D or F, or withdraw from a course. The University Innovation Alliance is engaging over 1,000 students in a study to address significant pandemic-driven increases in these rates.

CORI Research on Digital Skilling is Put into Practice

Recent research from the Center on Rural Innovation (CORI) showed that there is both a desire from rural residents and a need from local employers for tech skilling programs specific to a rural context. With a grant from Ascendium, CORI will build off that prior research and demonstrate how tech training programs centered around the needs of rural learners, employers and communities can foster upward mobility.

Jessa Valentine Joins Learning and Impact Team

Ascendium’s Learning and Impact team is excited to kick off 2023 with the hire of Dr. Jessa Valentine. Jessa is an experienced researcher and evaluator and joins the team as a senior learning and impact officer. In her new role, Jessa will be overseeing our investments in validation grants focused on determining the effectiveness of postsecondary education and workforce training reforms, along with identifying the conditions that contribute to success.

The Power of Media to Advance Change for Learners

Achieving our philanthropic mission requires building awareness and urgency around persistent barriers and promising solutions to postsecondary education and workforce training. Media plays an important role by bringing issues and successes to light through storytelling. Ascendium partners with highly experienced media sources like The Hechinger Report and Open Campus to advance the stories important to making system-level changes to help more learners from low-income backgrounds succeed. Whether it’s providing resources for learners in prison or changing policies that prevent students from receiving credit for work done, the stories they’re telling make a difference.

$69 Million+ in New Grants Highlighted by Investments in Job Pathways, Partnerships and More

Ascendium’s philanthropy is off to a fast start in 2023 with the recent approval of 34 grants totaling over $69 million. Included in these grants is support for initiatives to connect learners from low-income backgrounds with good jobs, strengthen conditions for partnerships to emerge between colleges and employers, invest in high-quality postsecondary education in prison systems and more.

Trends We’re Watching in 2023, Promising IT Career Training Pathways for Learners and More

• Postsecondary Education Trends We’re Watching in 2023
• 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

With 2022 in the rear view, Ascendium has kicked off the new year with optimism and excitement. We’ll continue to work closely with our grant partners and will be watching several postsecondary education trends in 2023. Future grant opportunities may be informed by the trends we see, especially if they connect to our goal of fostering upward mobility for learners from low-income backgrounds.

Partnership with The Chronicle of Higher Education Elevates Learner Voices

Media organizations across the country play an important role in linking big ideas to those who are positioned to implement them. Supported by Ascendium, The Chronicle for Higher Education has been putting such ideas into action through its Different Voices of Student Success online resource center for the past year. Our 2023 partnership will build on that success and connect stakeholders to practices that help first-generation, rural and incarcerated learners meet their postsecondary education and workforce training goals.

Investing in IT Career Training Pathways Shows Promise for Adult Learners

The growth in nondegree workforce training options present new pathways for learners from low-income backgrounds to achieve living wage careers. With so many options available, it's important to consider which models are most likely to result in upward mobility for those learners. IT training pathways that include learner supports and industry partnerships are models that have so far shown success. As a result, Ascendium has strategically invested almost $20 million in scaling these programs.

Social Media Spotlights Partner Innovations, Connects the Field

Social media is a go-to means of communication for most people and organizations. At Ascendium, we use social media to help us shine a light on the important work of our partners, identify problems and have conversations with the field. By connecting thought leaders working for change, we can better support learners from low-income backgrounds in achieving their postsecondary education and career goals.