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EDUCATION PHILANTHROPY DIVISION OF ASCENDIUM EDUCATION GROUP

All Grants

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Community College Doctoral Program Redesign

Exploration
University of Maryland Global Campus|$825,825|6/2020 - 5/2024
This grant supports the University of Maryland Global Campus in developing a new doctoral program in community college leadership. The program curriculum will be comprehensive and innovative, designed in collaboration with influential community college stakeholders and thought leaders.

AA-to-BA Transfer Apprenticeship Pathway for Rural Talent

Exploration
Reach Institute for School Leadership|$600,000|11/2022 - 5/2024
This grant supports Reach University in building career pathways between rural community colleges and school districts in four states, providing rural learners from low-income backgrounds with job-embedded training that leads to a bachelor’s degree and employment in high-quality, high-demand jobs in the education sector.

Seeding Innovation in Restorative Justice Curriculum

Exploration
University of North Alabama|$50,000|4/2023 - 5/2024
This grant supports the Restorative Justice Lab at the University of North Alabama in developing an applied learning complement to its 18-hour credit-bearing Certificate in Restorative Justice for incarcerated learners and laying the groundwork for evaluation contextualized to in-prison program delivery.

Optimizing Delivery Systems for Higher Education in Prison

Exploration
State of Minnesota Department of Corrections|$2,000,000|6/2021 - 5/2024
This grant supports the Minnesota Department of Corrections in redesigning their postsecondary educational delivery system to dramatically increase incarcerated learner access and success. The Minnesota Department of Corrections will work alongside a variety of external partners to build a solid infrastructure for core operations across internal departments and external organizations, as well as address relevant institutional policy and practice barriers.

Expanding Coverage of Postsecondary Success and Workforce Training in Rural America

Other
Institute for Nonprofit News|$75,000|6/2023 - 5/2024
This grant supports the Institute for Nonprofit News’ Rural News Network in collaborating with five rural newsrooms to develop greater coverage of postsecondary education and workforce training issues in rural communities and highlight the experiences of rural learners.

Actualizing Community Vibrancy Metrics

Exploration
Achieving the Dream Inc|$1,244,600|12/2022 - 5/2024
This grant supports Achieving the Dream (ATD) in helping its member colleges collect and use learner- and community-level data to drive college-wide reform. ATD will pilot the use of its new Community Vibrancy metrics framework with 15 colleges, learning how the metrics can be applied to drive change and produce tools and a training curriculum to support broader adoption across ATD’s 300+ member institutions.

Transfer Funders Group Facilitation & Planning

Exploration
Sova Solutions|$51,500|5/2023 - 4/2024
This grant supports Sova Solutions in facilitating a planning process for the transfer funders group created informally by Ascendium and other postsecondary education funders in 2020. This process will explore the continued role of the network, including the potential for funding collaboration in support of shared grantmaking priorities related to transfer and credit mobility.

Assessing the Pandemic's Impact on Postsecondary Education in Prison

Scaling
The RAND Corporation|$303,592|12/2020 - 4/2024
This grant supports The RAND Corporation in assessing the near- and long-term impacts of COVID-19 on postsecondary education in prison. Promising practices and responses to the pandemic that are being employed by corrections departments, colleges and universities, and postsecondary practitioners will be identified and disseminated to the field and key stakeholders.

Workforce Development Grantmaking in Native Nations and Communities Initiative

Other
Workforce Matters|$150,000|5/2023 - 4/2024
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.

Community College Growth Engine Fund Expansion

Exploration
Education Design Lab|$995,900|10/2021 - 3/2024
This grant supports Education Design Lab (The Lab) in deploying the Community College Growth Engine Fund with two community college systems. The Lab will support the design and pilot of employer-validated micro-pathways to connect low-income learners to economic mobility.