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.
Bringing Forward Underserved Learners’ Experiences
The Chronicle of Higher Education’s Different Voices of Student Success lifts underserved learners’ experiences and shares best practices for supporting them.
Strengthening Media Coverage of Postsecondary Education Topics
The Education Writers Association fosters the community of education writers to increase the amount of high-quality, thoughtful media coverage nationwide.
Listening to What’s Next in Postsecondary Education
Academic Intelligence’s Future U. podcast series examines the postsecondary education landscape through interviews with national thought leaders and innovators.
Highlighting Solutions in Postsecondary Education and Workforce Training
The Hechinger Report produces high-quality reporting on research, reforms, and promising solutions with the goal of improving the American education system.
Supporting National Reporting on Postsecondary Education in Prison
Open Campus’ biweekly newsletter College Inside investigates the future of postsecondary education in prison by focusing on incarcerated learners’ stories.
Supporting National Reporting on Rural Postsecondary Education and Workforce Training
Open Campus’ bimonthly newsletter Mile Markers explores the voices and issues shaping postsecondary education and workforce training in rural communities.
Documenting an Innovative Path to Workforce Training for Incarcerated Learners
UnlockED: The Film features four incarcerated learners as they produce a learning management system that would improve postsecondary education in prison.
Expanding Coverage of Postsecondary Education and Workforce Training in Rural America
The Rural News Network builds capacity for rural news outlets to explore postsecondary education and workforce training issues receiving little to no coverage.
Elevating Student Parents’ Experiences in Postsecondary Education
Three Frame Media’s short film on student parents celebrates and elevates their belonging in postsecondary education.Planning for ASAP Denver
Exploration
This grant supports Colorado Equitable Economic Mobility Initiative (CEEMI) in planning the implementation of a local ASAP-type program to support low-income learner success in the Denver metro area. CEEMI is entering initial phases of building support among local stakeholders and identifying public funding streams to support the launch and sustainability of a Denver ASAP model.
Quality Framework for Community College Bachelor's Degree Programs
Exploration
This grant supports Community College Baccalaureate Association in collaborating with postsecondary and workforce partners to establish characteristics of quality for community college bachelor's degree programs.
Regional Upskilling Alliance - Planning Period
Exploration
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.
Special Report: Modernizing Federal Policy to Serve Today’s Students
Other
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.
2022 Rural Matters Podcast
Scaling
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
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.
Subscribe and Stay Connected
Get Ascendium news right to your inbox, from grant announcements and project spotlights to where you can find our program staff in the field.
