Facilitating Career Pathways for Low-Income Rural Students: Cooperative Extension as a Community Connector
Exploration
This grant supports the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities in building, piloting, and evaluating a Rural Workforce Engagement Model that engages Cooperative Extension professionals in identifying and addressing the needs of low-income workers and employers in rural communities.
Launching West Virginia Climbs
Exploration
This grant supports Philanthropy West Virginia’s efforts in building the infrastructure of West Virginia Climbs, a new public awareness and programming campaign aimed at increasing the state’s postsecondary educational attainment rate to at least 60 percent by 2030. The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission and other partners will support the implementation activities needed to complete five activities targeted at supporting learners from low-income backgrounds.
Maintain Momentum: Supporting Postsecondary Education Membership Organizations and Networks
Scaling
This grant supports the Yes We Must Coalition and its members in continuing to advance student success reforms despite COVID‐19‐related impacts.
Career Advising Tools and Outreach for Low-Income College Graduates - Planning Phase
Exploration
This grant supports the University of Virginia in developing a personalized job recommendation tool and intrusive advising resources designed to improve employment outcomes for low-income community college graduates.
Scaling the Student Success Center Network Coaching Program
Scaling
This grant supports Jobs for the Future in building the capacity of four Student Success Centers to deploy coaches trained in advancing reforms at colleges in their states. The project provides capacity-building seed grants and strategic technical assistance to Centers in designing and implementing in-state coaching programs, while also providing training and ongoing professional development to the cadre of coaches.
Researching Place-based Learning Experiences' Impact on Rural Postsecondary Learners
Validation
This grant supports the University of Montana in researching the impact of place-based learning at postsecondary institutions on student outcomes and achievement. Building on promising research in secondary systems, rural place-based learning focuses on integrating local and regional cultures, history, and resources into school programming in an effort to promote student success and engagement.
Transforming Higher Education Policy and Practice in Prisons and Beyond
Exploration
This grant supports the Education Trust in developing two distinct but interconnected leadership development programs that will engage formerly incarcerated learners and postsecondary education in prison practitioners in an intentional learning exchange, producing nuanced reports and analysis and informing improvements to institutional practice.
Unlocking the Promise of Pell for Students in Prison
Scaling
This grant supports Vera Institute of Justice in providing meaningful and in-depth technical assistance, training and advising to new and existing Second Chance Pell Initiative college sites and their state corrections system partners. The goal is to ensure the implementation of high-quality postsecondary education in prison and to help the field grow a cohort of correctional administrators prepared to support the broad expansion of such programs.
Strengthening Guided Pathways through Workforce
Scaling
This grant supports the Aspen Institute in operationalizing the Ascendium-funded Workforce Playbook by engaging community college leaders in a variety of contexts through additional curricular materials and embedding the Workforce Playbook into the existing guided pathways framework.
Supporting Postsecondary Education Writers and Coverage
Scaling
This grant supports Education Writers Association in meeting the professional development needs of postsecondary education journalists as well as media coverage projects related to socio-economic mobility and education beyond high school.
