About Ascend Convenings
We strategically gather new and established partners to explore and implement solutions for and with families facing economic inequities. Our convenings are not only a mechanism to facilitate better understanding, but they are also an important venue for communities to share their accomplishments and identify opportunities for partnership and advancement.
in 2011
Signature Series
We have a few hallmark convenings that are core to how we steward collaboration with our community and advance progress on our policy and practice priorities.
Aspen Forum on Children and Families
Following a national election, we convene leaders from across the country in the nation’s capital and online to share new innovations, lessons learned, and practical strategies to move the needle for families with low incomes.
Location
Washington, D.C.
Timing
Biannual every other Spring
Aspen ThinkXChange
We gather leading organizations from across the two-generation (2Gen) field to review progress at all levels in policy, practice, research, systems, and philanthropy to discuss and debate opportunities for moving children and their families beyond poverty toward intergenerational opportunity.
Location
Aspen, CO
Timing
Biannual every other Fall
Aspen VisionXChange
We bring together the powerful, growing network of visionary Aspen Institute Ascend Fellows from across all cohorts in a spirit of reunion and renewal to celebrate and accelerate our collective impact as champions for children and families.
Location
Aspen, CO
Timing
Biannual every other Summer
“What Ascend has done for me is help me to realize that my voice is important, helped me to realize that I am a leader. I’ve been able to not only inspire and impact others, but they’ve also been able to do the same for me. I’m happy that our voices are valued at this table.”
Tameka Henry
Executive Director, The Obodo Collective
“Thank you again for the opportunity to attend a meeting that is now at the top of my list. This convening was meaningful, inspiring, and exceptionally worthwhile. In addition to new connections, I brought back new content knowledge and a much broader lens for approaching problems, generating solutions, and working across sectors.”
Catherine Monk
Diana Vagelos Professor of Women’s Mental Health, Columbia University
“I’ve become very selective about which conferences I attend, as it just takes too much time away from meaningful work at home, often with little to show for it. But Ascend convenings are different; they are always powerful and well-curated from beginning to end. I know that the content will be stellar and the people in the room will be the community of experts I need to learn from and with. I’m always grateful when I have the opportunity to participate in an Aspen convening!”
Laura Zumdahl
President & CEO, New Moms
Parents and caregivers know what their families need to thrive. It’s critical to incorporate families’ perspectives, experiences, and recommendations in conversations about programs and policies that directly affect them. We engage parents in all our convenings and tap community-based partners to support parents in sharing their time and perspective. Visit our Ascending with Parents report for additional details on how Ascend engages parents in our convenings.
To design with our community at the center, we frequently leverage cross-sector planning committees when developing convenings. These committees are comprised of practitioners, researchers, Ascend Parent Advisors, and other experts who help guide the creation of agendas, sessions, and topics. These advisors represent the various systems and sectors with which families interact, and they help reveal the diverse range of perspectives that attend our convenings.
To transform our nation’s systems, leaders’ hearts and minds must be changed and moved toward action. We utilize a diverse range of methods and modalities throughout our convenings to create engaging experiences that maximize the learning opportunity for professionals. Whether it’s providing session tracks for attendees to self-select based on their interests, offering content in a range of mediums to accommodate different styles and preferences, or including time for interaction and peer collaboration, we tailor convenings to make the most out of our partners’ time and resources.
Legacy of Aspen Events
The Aspen Institute was founded by Walter and Elizabeth Paepcke – in the aftermath of the Holocaust and World War II – to foster dialogue, promote understanding, and help solve society’s greatest challenges. They envisioned a “place where the human spirit can flourish” and where leaders, thinkers, artists, and people from all walks of life could convene in the service of human dignity.
The Aspen Institute is world-renowned for our well-designed and inclusive festivals, seminars, and other fora through which participants learn and leave transformed. Since 2005, the annual Aspen Ideas Festival has been one of the nation’s premier public gathering places for leaders to discuss ideas and issues impacting our world.
Ascend builds upon the Institute’s legacy by offering space for candid dialogue, elevating values-based leaders, and sharing breakthrough ideas for family prosperity on the big stage. Reflecting Ascend’s commitment to embracing lived experience along with racial, gender, and economic equity, we curate free public programming and work with our philanthropic partners to secure resources so that our partners can access and benefit from inspiring convenings.
Be part of the conversation! Register for our future convenings and help drive impactful change for families.