Media Partnerships | Ascendium’s Education Philanthropy - Grants Page 2 Skip to main content

Ascendium Education Philanthropy is a division of Ascendium Education Group.

Media Partnerships

Our philanthropy amplifies important information across the nation, helping good ideas become systemic change for learners from low-income backgrounds.

MediaPartnershipsHero2x v2
gettyimages 1373466140 170667a

WHY MEDIA PARTNERSHIPS?

High-quality reporting and storytelling are vital for investigating, proposing, and disseminating systemic solutions to challenges faced by learners from low-income backgrounds. When media highlight problems alongside evidence-based solutions, successful practices have the potential to scale up. Media amplification can also encourage individual policymakers, communities, and government agencies to address critical issues in improving postsecondary education and workforce training outcomes. By framing and amplifying the issues critical to improving postsecondary education and workforce training outcomes, media partners get important information in front of those who can advocate for and make real, systemic change.

Learn more about how our media partnerships support learners from low-income backgrounds.

Connecting the Justice-Impacted Community to Pre-entry Resources

Our Community Ltd|$230,000|9/2024 - 8/2026
This grant supports Milwaukee-based Our Community in producing and expanding its bi-monthly prison newsletter, which is distributed to more than 8,000 incarcerated individuals in Wisconsin and provides resources and information to support success after release.

Workforce Development Grantmaking in Native Nations and Communities Initiative

Workforce Matters|$150,000|5/2023 - 6/2026
This grant supports Workforce Matters in building the capacity of workforce organizations serving American Indian communities. Through subgrants and technical assistance, Workforce Matters will support workforce training organizations in accessing local labor market data and leveraging federal and private funding opportunities to improve postsecondary education and training opportunities.

Creating Enabling Conditions for Adult Reskilling in Rural America through Narrative

New York University|$277,100|7/2024 - 6/2026
This grant supports New York University’s Marron Institute in producing national reporting, communications, and a multimedia web project to raise the profile of rural workers and educational pathways in Appalachia. The project will highlight strategies to help more rural low-income workers in the region, and in other rural regions, to complete postsecondary education and workforce training programs aligned to local economies.

Documenting Opportunities for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Learners

Strada Collaborative LLC|$700,000|2/2024 - 1/2026
This grant supports Roadtrip Nation in producing a documentary film and additional video assets that showcase the voices and experiences of justice-impacted individuals who participated in postsecondary education opportunities while incarcerated. The documentary aims to build awareness about the positive impact of access to postsecondary education in prison and help incarcerated and formerly incarcerated learners see the relevance of postsecondary education to their life and career goals.

Supporting High Quality Journalism on Postsecondary Education Solutions

Education Writers Association|$350,000|2/2025 - 1/2026
This grant supports Education Writers Association in enhancing small independent outlets’ capacity to report on postsecondary issues while providing training and opportunities for journalists across the country to cover local, rural, and national stories related to postsecondary education and workforce training.

Prevalence of Lived Experience in Leadership Positions

The Urban Institute |$100,000|9/2024 - 12/2025
This grant supports Urban Institute in understanding the prevalence of lived experiences in or adjacent to the criminal justice system, including personal history of incarceration, among nonprofit organizational leaders. The project will identify best practices and develop data collection tools funders can use to understand the extent to which their grantees are led by individuals with relevant lived experience.
View All Ascendium Grants