Ascendium's Education Philanthropy

The #AscendiumEP team recently had an engaging and thought-provoking experience at #EdFunders24. Thank you to Grantmakers for Education for hosting. We'll see you next year!

Visit our website for a recap of last month’s #CapTimesIdeaFest, featuring a powerful discussion on immigrants and the workforce with leaders like Madison College Madison Area Technical College’s Zong Her. Click to learn more. https://bit.ly/3BP6gX6 #AscendiumEP #RemoveBarriers

How can institutions best serve their #FirstGen learners? It starts with understanding their lived experiences and what being first-gen means to them. Read what being first-gen means to our #AscendiumEP team members and stay tuned as we reflect on identifying and addressing these learners’ unique needs in #PostsecondaryEd. #SocialSeries

Our second profile that spotlights grant partners working to address barriers faced by #Rural Native American learners features the Wakiya Foundation and its work with Western Governors University to connect Indigenous learners to online #Postsecondary programs that lead to good jobs. Click the link to read more! https://bit.ly/3YajC7z #AscendiumEP #StreamlineTransitions #RuralPostsecondaryEd

Did you know that 40 million learners have some #PostsecondaryEd experience but no credential? If even a fraction of those learners decides to return to the classroom, then millions will need to return to a postsecondary institution. So, how does a typical learner start again? As we wrap up #NationalTransferWeek, let’s explore stopping out as an example of how credit mobility affects credential completion. https://bit.ly/3NfbBJr #AscendiumEP #AscendiumExplains #StreamlineTransitions

#AscendiumEP’s final #CreditMobility #SocialSeries resource contains information about Ithaka S+R's Universal Credit Transfer Explorer. Inspired by the The City University of New York Transfer Explorer, Ithaka’s tool will connect students, institutions, and all those who support them with accurate information on how credits #Transfer and count towards degrees. Click the link to learn more. https://bit.ly/4eQ7P5i

New tools are available for community colleges seeking to increase the number of learners in high-value programs that lead directly to a well-paying job or set learners up for success after transfer to a four-year institution. Click the link to explore these resources from the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program and Community College Research Center. https://bit.ly/3Y9mwuz #AscendiumEP #StreamlineTransitions

At University Innovation Alliance (UIA)’s National Summit on Student Success Innovation, Amy Girardi of #AscendiumEP will share insights alongside representatives from The Kresge Foundation, ECMC Foundation, Helios Education Foundation, Axim Collaborative, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Strada Education Foundation on their emerging investment priorities and interests. If you’re attending, we invite you to visit this session on Oct. 24 at 3:45 p.m. MT. https://bit.ly/40ejuXi

Learners are more mobile than ever, moving between programs, institutions, learning systems, jobs, fields, and locations across their lifetime. So, how do #PostsecondaryEd institutions recognize a learner’s unique journey to a credential? And how can that recognition add up to a degree? As part of #NationalTransferWeek, let’s look at credit for prior learning as an example of how credit mobility policies affect learner success. https://bit.ly/3NfbBJr #AscendiumEP #AscendiumExplains #StreamlineTransitions

CivicLab has selected 10 partnerships comprised of #HigherEd, nonprofits, employers, and local stakeholders across the country to create stronger education-to-employment pathways for #Rural learners. Click to read more. https://bit.ly/3zJfweB #RuralPostsecondaryEd #AscendiumEP