Evaluating Digital Pathways Transformation Cohort of Rural Community Colleges
Validation
Achieving the Dream Inc|$240,000|12/2020 - 12/2023
This grant supports Achieving the Dream in building a cohort of six rural community colleges going through large-scale institutional change to prepare and increase the number of low-income learners that graduate and enter the digital economy. This grant will support the evaluation of this cohort and will build a body of evidence outlining key success factors for supporting rural community colleges and learners.
Catalyzing Rural Community Colleges Through a Design Challenge
Exploration
Education Design Lab|$1,996,925|4/2020 - 6/2023
This grant supports Education Design Lab in executing a three-year design challenge to develop and pilot new solutions to the question: “How might we improve the ability of rural community colleges to be a critical engine (or catalyst) of growth in their local communities?” Education Design Lab will partner with five rural community colleges to collaboratively structure, design, and evaluate new programs.
Building Pathways to Quality Jobs and Financial Security in Rural America
Scaling
Local Initiatives Support Corporation |$1,302,077|5/2020 - 5/2023
This grant supports 11 communities in the Local Initiatives Support Corporation’s Rural Works initiative, a national network of workforce intermediaries committed to modernizing and redeveloping pathways from postsecondary education and training to employment.
Researching and Awarding Excellence in Rural Community Colleges
Scaling
The Aspen Institute Inc|$2,624,131|5/2020 - 4/2023
The grant supports the Aspen Institute in researching and awarding the 2021 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence and the development of a new suite of curricular resources to advance student success at rural community colleges.
Institutional Transformation in Puerto Rico: Lessons Learned in Resiliency
Validation
Excelencia in Education Inc|$399,700|10/2020 - 9/2022
This grant supports Excelencia in Education in identifying strategies that can support institutional resiliency and promote student success for rural, Latinx learners in the midst of natural disasters and crises. Excelencia will engage rural postsecondary institutions in Puerto Rico, which has experienced multiple natural disasters in recent years, and develop a report and accompanying case studies highlighting lessons learned in supporting access, retention and success for rural learners.
Facilitating Career Pathways for Low-Income Rural Students: Cooperative Extension as a Community Connector
Exploration
Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities|$389,100|12/2020 - 7/2022
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
Philanthropy West Virginia|$750,000|6/2020 - 6/2022
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.
Researching Place-based Learning Experiences' Impact on Rural Postsecondary Learners
Validation
University of Montana|$221,202|6/2020 - 5/2022
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.
Exploring Pathways to Sustainable Digital Employment in Rural Communities
Exploration
Center on Rural Innovation Inc|$403,100|12/2020 - 12/2021
This grant supports the Center on Rural Innovation in researching foundational questions related to building an inclusive tech workforce in rural America. Research will be synthesized into a public-facing report that will drive real impact on creating skilling pipelines, localizing outsourced tech jobs and leveraging the power of remote work in rural areas—ultimately setting the stage for low-income rural learners to achieve their academic and career goals in the fast-growing, high-paying fields of the digital economy.
Defining What It Means to Be a Rural-Serving Postsecondary Institution
Validation
Appalachian State University|$428,000|12/2020 - 12/2021
This grant supports Appalachian State University and researchers from the Alliance for Research on Regional Colleges in utilizing and analyzing various data sources to develop a formal definition of operating as a “rural serving postsecondary institution.” The team will create a series of interactive data tools, corresponding documentation and a list of institutions that meet this definition.
