News

Introducing the New Expand Postsecondary Education in Prison Team

Ahead of a vital period for the postsecondary education in prison space, Ascendium has added veteran leadership to support its Expand Postsecondary Education in Prison portfolio. Molly Lasagna joins as senior program officer, and Maryann Rainey is transitioning from our Streamline Key Learner Transitions focus area. The pair will oversee a portfolio that includes Ready for Pell, our two-year initiative designed to support and strengthen postsecondary education in prison programs in advance of the restoration of Pell Grant eligibility for incarcerated adults, coming in the 2023-24 academic year.

Latest Numbers Show College Student Transfers Continuing Steep Decline

New data released by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center show that transfer enrollments continued to decline in spring 2022, two years after the start of the COVID-19 health crisis.

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.

We’re Finally Making Progress Supporting Rural Tech – We Can Do So Much More

According to a report from the Center on Rural Innovation (CORI), nearly 60% of rural Americans are interested in tech jobs and careers. CORI continues to push for investments in rural America to ensure rural learners have the opportunity for socioeconomic growth in the digital age.

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.