Building Pathways to Rural and Tribal Employment
Exploration
American Indian College Fund|$2,500,000|12/2023 - 6/2028
This grant supports the American Indian College Fund in supporting tribal colleges and universities to implement intentional career development programming that will prepare American Indian and Alaska Native learners from low-income backgrounds for, and connect them with, good jobs in their regions.
Implementing the Opportunity Accelerator Program to Expand Postsecondary Pathways for Rural Learners
Exploration
Goodwill Industries International Inc|$2,000,000|8/2023 - 7/2026
This grant supports Goodwill Industries International in expanding its Opportunity Accelerator framework to serve eight rural communities. Local Goodwill centers will develop new training pathways aligned to labor market needs in their regions, providing low-income young adults with training and support to attain jobs that pay a living wage.
Rural Regional Talent Networks (R-RTN) Cohort 2 Implementation
Exploration
Economic Mobility Systems Inc|$1,080,000|11/2023 - 6/2026
This grant supports Economic Mobility Systems in expanding the Rural Regional Talent Network (R-RTN) model to three additional rural communities in Texas. The grant will support the creation of new partnerships between K-12, community colleges, and employers focused on using data to align policy and practice across sectors in order to ensure rural learners are accessing and completing high-quality training that leads to in-demand jobs.
Rural Research Support Partner
Exploration
American Institutes for Research in the Behavioral Sciences|$569,827|4/2022 - 6/2026
This multi-year, Ascendium-led grant supports American Institutes for Research in managing Ascendium’s multi-year research initiative to support action-oriented research aimed at addressing critical gaps in the evidence available to inform scaled and sustained improvements in the postsecondary and workforce outcomes of low-income learners in rural geographies.
Serving Rural America though Land-Grant Colleges & Universities: Unlocking the Workforce Development Potential of Extension Services
Exploration
National Center for Higher Education Management Systems|$1,139,700|11/2023 - 4/2026
This grant supports the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems in strengthening the capacity of Land Grant University Cooperative Extension offices to advance postsecondary access and success for learners in rural communities.
Building Evidence to Increase Rural Learner Success
Validation
Urban Institute |$500,000|3/2023 - 2/2026
This grant supports the Urban Institute in refining and testing the Family Friendly Campus Toolkit, which helps institutions better serve parenting students, to fit the context of rural tribal colleges and universities.
Building Evidence to Increase Rural Learner Success
Validation
North Carolina State University|$490,200|3/2023 - 2/2026
This grant supports North Carolina State University in investigating the effectiveness of its statewide Rural College Leaders Program in contributing to student success reforms.
Building Evidence to Increase Rural Learner Success
Validation
University of Idaho|$499,600|3/2023 - 2/2026
This grant supports the University of Idaho in examining which institutional programs and practices—including first-year programs, career advising and other strategies—may best support retention, completion and successful transition to the workforce for rural learners from low-income backgrounds.
Building Evidence to Increase Rural Learner Success
Validation
Georgia State University Research Foundation Inc|$500,000|3/2023 - 2/2026
This grant supports Georgia State University in evaluating the impact of a statewide online instruction initiative on the enrollment, completion and employment outcomes of rural learners.
Building Evidence to Increase Rural Learner Success
Validation
Western Illinois University|$311,100|3/2023 - 2/2026
This grant supports Western Illinois University in investigating whether its Paraprofessional Teacher Education Option program reduces barriers for non‐traditional, rural learners from low-income backgrounds to earn a bachelor’s degree in education and teacher licensure.