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EDUCATION PHILANTHROPY DIVISION OF ASCENDIUM EDUCATION GROUP

All Grants

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Accelerating Transfer Reform

Scaling
The Aspen Institute Inc|$1,518,000|7/2021 - 10/2023
This grant supports The Aspen Institute in accelerating transfer reform nationally by activating two- and four-year college leaders and leveraging networks to implement lasting institutional change. This project will scale the adoption of effective practices aimed at improving transfer success for learners from low-income backgrounds.

Advancing Outcomes Research on Postsecondary Competency-Based Education Pathways

Exploration
American Institutes for Research in the Behavioral Sciences|$237,200|6/2022 - 10/2023
This grant supports American Institutes for Research in developing a typology of competency-based education program design features. They will also develop an evaluation plan using the typology to research the impact of key design features and outcomes for learners from low-income backgrounds.

Regional Upskilling Alliance - Planning Period

Exploration
Strada Collaborative LLC|$50,000|11/2022 - 10/2023
This grant supports the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning in coordinating the development of the Regional Upskilling Alliance, an innovative approach to developing sustainable connective structure that more effectively supports low-wage and unemployed adults in obtaining new skills and communicating them to employers in order to access thriving wage career opportunities.

National Reporting on Rural and Prison Higher Education

Scaling
Open Campus Media Inc|$600,000|7/2021 - 10/2023
This grant supports Open Campus in developing an indepth series of stories covering rural postsecondary education and workforce training and postsecondary education in prison.

Special Report: Modernizing Federal Policy to Serve Today’s Students

Other
Inside Higher Ed Inc|$50,000|7/2023 - 10/2023
This grant supports Inside Higher Education in producing a special report: Modernizing Federal Policy to Serve Today's Students. The report will include an in-depth analysis of the impact of state and federal postsecondary education policy on working learners, particularly those from low-income backgrounds, and highlight opportunities for federal policy to be modernized to better meet the needs of today’s learners.

HBCU Degree Completion Pilot

Exploration
Thurgood Marshall College Fund Inc|$290,950|9/2020 - 8/2023
This grant supports the Thurgood Marshall College Fund in piloting an online college degree completion program for near-completer students at member HBCU Delaware State University in partnership with Southern New Hampshire University.

Building Rural Community Learning Systems

Scaling
Columbus Learning Center Management Corporation|$750,000|9/2021 - 8/2023
This grant supports CivicLab, a project of Columbus Learning Center Management Corporation, in launching a cohort of six to eight rural community partnerships, building the capacity of rural community learning systems to improve learner-level outcomes along a talent development pathway.

Workforce Aligned Postsecondary Education: Understanding the Way Forward

Validation
Urban Institute |$990,000|9/2021 - 8/2023
This grant supports the Urban Institute in assessing which workforce-aligned approaches of postsecondary education institutions are most critical for the success of learners from low-income backgrounds in the labor market. The Urban Institute will conduct a multi-faceted research project, including a return on investment analysis that will ultimately provide information on promising and effective programs, policies, resources and strategies that support success for learners.

2022 Rural Matters Podcast

Scaling
Michael Levin-Epstein|$20,000|9/2022 - 8/2023
This grant supports Michael Levin-Epstein in producing a four-part podcast series focused on postsecondary education and workforce training in rural communities on the Rural Matters podcast.

Analyzing Public Comments for Proposed Rulemaking on Prison Higher Education and Pell

Exploration
University of Utah|$50,000|12/2022 - 8/2023
This grant supports the Research Collaborative on Higher Education in Prison at the University of Utah in analyzing and synthesizing the public comments submitted in response to the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding the expansion of Pell Grants for incarcerated students. This analysis will support Ascendium, the Research Collaborative and others in identifying salient field concerns and questions regarding the reinstatement of Pell grant eligibility for incarcerated learners in July 2023.