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EDUCATION PHILANTHROPY DIVISION OF ASCENDIUM EDUCATION GROUP

Streamline Key Learner Transitions

Our philanthropy supports institutions and systems as they work to facilitate seamless transitions between educational and career opportunities after high school.

A young woman training in a server room.

How We See the Problem

Leveraging workforce training, transferring between postsecondary providers and entering or re-entering the workforce are pivotal moments in a learner’s career or academic journey. Institutions and systems can implement policies and practices that inadvertently make these transitions difficult. For example, when curricula don’t align, or information systems are incapable of sharing data effectively, students risk losing credits, momentum and money. The jump from postsecondary education into the workforce also presents challenges, especially when institutions offer programming that does not align with the skills employers need.

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Our Three Investment Priorities

Explore diverse pathways to and through postsecondary education and workforce training.

  • Identify and test diverse pathways (e.g., short-term credentials, apprenticeships, career pathways/hybrid college models) that promote upward socioeconomic mobility for learners from low-income backgrounds.
  • Support the scaling of diverse pathway models with promising results to serve greater numbers of learners from low-income backgrounds.

Ease transitions between, and returning to, postsecondary education providers.

  • Support innovative policies and practices that create more integrated, holistic approaches to giving learners credit for prior learning (including transfer credits).
  • Support the implementation of strategies proven to ease the transition from community colleges to four-year institutions.

Smooth transitions between postsecondary education and the workforce.

  • Identify and advance strategies that support the strengthening of infrastructure, usability and standardization of data across sectors related to learner success and socioeconomic mobility.
  • Find, evaluate and support scaling of postsecondary education practices that are yielding strong workforce outcomes for learners from low-income backgrounds.

Grants to Streamline Key Learner Transitions

To learn about our approach to grantmaking (Exploration, Validation, Scaling), visit our How We Fund page.

Constructing a Predictive Analytic Model to Adult Learner Pathways

Exploration
The Graduate! Network Inc|$260,000|6/2020 - 9/2021
This grant supports The Graduate! Network in developing a platform-agnostic quantitative and qualitative analysis of their data to construct a predictive analytic model to further understand patterns in adult learner pathways to degree completion. The analyses produced from this project will ultimately culminate in a report that will inform institutional policies and practices to further support adult learner re-engagement strategies and increase degree completion.

Tackling Transfer Phase II

Scaling
The Aspen Institute Inc|$1,200,000|7/2018 - 8/2021
This grant supports the Aspen Institute in helping three states—Minnesota, Texas and Virginia—adopt transfer reforms to promote bachelor’s degree attainment among students who begin at community colleges. This project will also produce learnings about the conditions and strategies for replicating or adapting comprehensive transfer reforms in other states.

Text Steps Summer Melt Texting Initiative

Scaling
National College Attainment Network|$32,000|1/2021 - 8/2021
This grant supports National College Attainment Network in amplifying the impact and reach of Text Steps, a Wisconsin-based initiative funded by Ascendium since 2018.

HBCU Degree Completion Pilot

Exploration
Delaware State University Foundation Inc|$216,200|9/2020 - 8/2021
This grant supports the Delaware State University Foundation in piloting an online college degree completion program for near-completer students in partnership with Southern New Hampshire University and Thurgood Marshall College Fund.

Expansion of the Promise Ecosystem Initiative and Employer Symposiums

Scaling
College Promise Campaign|$250,000|1/2020 - 6/2021
This grant supports the College Promise Campaign in expanding their efforts to build awareness and generate momentum for the College Promise movement across the country, with a particular focus on tying Promise programs to career and workforce development.

Text Steps Summer Melt Texting-NCAN memberships for Wisconsin school districts

Scaling
National College Attainment Network|$30,883|9/2018 - 6/2021
This grant supports National College Access Network membership fees for the 13 school districts participating in the Text Steps project.

Scaling Education to Employment Solutions

Exploration
America Achieves Inc|$180,000|4/2020 - 4/2021
This grant supports America Achieves in developing actionable recommendations for how philanthropy and the public sector can work together to scale high potential postsecondary education to employment initiatives.

Text Steps Summer Melt Texting

Scaling
School District of Monroe|$37,975|9/2018 - 12/2020
This grant supports 13 Wisconsin public school districts in launching summer melt text nudging to help increase on-time college enrollment rates.

Text Steps Summer Melt Texting

Scaling
Green Bay Area Public Schools|$47,900|9/2018 - 12/2020
This grant supports 13 Wisconsin public school districts in launching summer melt text nudging to help increase on-time college enrollment rates.

Text Steps Summer Melt Texting

Scaling
School District of Fort Atkinson|$22,040|9/2018 - 12/2020
This grant supports 13 Wisconsin public school districts in launching summer melt text nudging to help increase on-time college enrollment rates.
View All Ascendium Grants

Latest News

September 27, 2023

Keith Witham Reflects on His First Six Months as Vice President of Education Philanthropy

Halfway through his first year as Vice President of Education Philanthropy, Keith Witham provides an overview of the past six months of Ascendium’s grantmaking. He also looks ahead, reaffirming Ascendium’s commitment to transforming the lives of learners from low-income backgrounds through postsecondary education and workforce training.

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August 28, 2023

Free Job Trainings for Immediate Employment for Maui Residents

Good Jobs Hawai’i offers free job training to Maui residents who want to upskill and earn industry credentials in the healthcare, skilled trades, and technology industries. Ascendium’s support of this initiative includes funding to help with industry partner coordination and the development of career pathways within the University of Hawaii System.

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Resources

The Tennessee Coaching Project: Next Steps Advisors (Pilot Semester Overview)

The Tennessee Coaching Project extends support for adult learners with some postsecondary education but no degree through course-focused success coaches known as Next Steps Advisors. These coaches help them navigate the unique challenges and barriers they face returning to postsecondary education to complete their degree.

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Learning from Students: How Teams Rethink Their STEM Transfer Process Through Student Input

This brief documents the work of postsecondary education partners to collect student input and translate that data into improvements for learners using STEM transfer pathways. It includes the strategies they used to collect input, as well as insights on what constitutes input, what forms of input are most needed, and how partners can best learn from students.

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Carolynn
Lee

Deputy Director,
Education Grantmaking

Valerie
Crespín-Trujillo

Program Officer,
Streamline Key Learner Transitions

Maryann
Rainey

Senior Program Officer,
Streamline Key Learner Transitions

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