Aspen Institute Announces First-Ever Parent Powered Solutions Fund Grantees

David Croom | October 22, 2020 | Aspen Postsecondary Success for Parents, Press Releases

Contact: Alexis Williams
Ascend at the Aspen Institute
Alexis.Williams@aspeninstitute.org  

Aspen Institute Announces First-Ever Parent Powered Solutions Fund Awardees 

Parent Leaders Select Six Organizations Championing College Success for 
Undergraduate Students Raising Children 

Washington, DC – Today, Ascend at the Aspen Institute announced the recipients of the Aspen Parent Powered Solutions Fund – the first student parent-led fund dedicated to advancing the work of organizations and initiatives that support student parents’ postsecondary success. The inaugural awardees are pursuing a host of issues – from creating student parent advisory councils and offering mental health counseling supports to providing emergency financial resources and compensating parents for their expertise. They will each receive $25,000 over the next year to develop programs that support student parents in completing postsecondary programs. The Ascend PSP Parent Advisorswhose first-hand experience informs Ascend’s Postsecondary Success for Parents (PSP) Initiative, selected these innovative solutions.  

“We are planting our seeds on a new horizon, and we are excited to see what grows from it,” said Jesus Benitez, Parent Advisor and recent graduate of the City University of New York. “It’s amazing to read about projects that acknowledge ideas like a family resource center as a necessity and learning that schools want to duplicate the student parent advisors, just like Ascend, to improve their services to better support student parents. I’m eager to see what comes from the work we are doing and what the future has in store for student parents and their families.” 

“As the child of a student parent, the stories I’ve heard from the Ascend Parent Advisors resonate deeply with me,” said Dan Porterfield, President and CEO of the Aspen Institute. “The day-to-day challenges of college-goers of every age have only been compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Parent Powered Solutions Fund both honors the sacrifices student parents make and supports the solutions to the distinct challenges they face.”

The Aspen Parent Powered Solutions Fund awardees are: 

  • BeyondHome (CO) will use the fund to provide members of its Women with a Cause Scholar Program and student parents in its Self-Sufficiency Program with mental health and financial counseling, life skills, parent coaching, youth and children programming, and direct financial assistance.  
  • Briya Public Charter School’s (Briya) (DC) funding will support parents in its workforce programs to earn credentials as a Child Development Associate or a Medical Assistant. After completing their workforce credential, the student parent will enter credit bearing classes at one of Briya’s partner schools, the University of the District of Columbia or Trinity University. Briya will also provide high quality infant and toddler education to the student parents.
  • Community College of Aurora (CCA) (CO) will create an advisory council comprised of students who are parents to lead conversations and policymaking opportunities on campus. The student parents will be paid to gather information and report on parent and family needs, barriers specific to CCA student parents, and solutions to those barriers.  
  • Knoxville-Knox County Community Action Committee (CAC) (TN) will hire eight student parents as advisors to participate in community meetings relevant to their lived experiences, attend monthly staff agenda meetings to provide feedback on proposed programming, plan trainings, lead quarterly student parent focus groups to assess the needs present in the community, discuss strategies to address these needs, and lead weekly support groups. 
  • Project Self-Sufficiency (PSS) (CA) will use the fund for its Client Services Program for single-parent college students to offer flexible financial support and long-term case management until six months after graduation. Financial support will include emergency rental assistance, textbook assistance, child care assistance, auto repair and other aid as needed. PSS also offers dental reimbursement, professional development opportunities, holiday assistance, and mental health counseling.  
  • Raise the Barr (RTB) (CA/MN) will invest in student parents as expert consultants and incorporate them into all aspects of planning, programming, and decision making. RTB will add two student parents to its advisory board and compensate them for their time. Student parents will also serve on RTB’s scholarship and emergency grant review committees to help create student-centered applications and review submissions. 

We are honored to have been chosen by the [Fund], as it validates and acknowledges our intent to keep student parents at the center of who we are and what we do,” said Lori Barr, co-founder of Raise the Barr. To have the trust of Ascend’s Parent Advisors is one of the highest votes of confidence we have received to date! We look forward to furthering our efforts, together, so student parents everywhere have the opportunity, resources, and support they need to thrive! 

The PSP Initiative, a partnership between Ascend, Imaginable Futures, and the ECMC Foundation that raises awareness about and shares strategies to better support student parents, centers the Parent Advisors to ensure their voices and expertise inform the policy and practice recommendations put forth. Shifting decision-making power to student parents is more important now, during a global pandemic, than ever. Building stronger pathways to completion and providing resources that address the unique needs of student parents is of the utmost importance this school year given the COVID-19 pandemic. Student parents with school-age children are taking on virtual learning together, while those with even younger children require safe, quality, affordable child care. Access to Wi-Fi is imperative to complete classes, while job and food security remain constant concerns. The grantees will set a precedent for two-generation innovations that nonprofits, postsecondary institutions, and workforce development programs can model. 

Vinice Davis, venture partner at Imaginable Futures: “We are overjoyed with the response to the Parent Powered Solutions Fund from both the Parent Advisors and the applicantsWe saw a variety of solutions from applicants that truly put student parents first. The Parent Advisors made poignant observations to narrow down and identify the best programs for their community. We are optimistic that the future of the postsecondary ecosystem will be more family friendly thanks to their choices.”

Anne Mosle, vice president at the Aspen Institute and executive director of Ascend: “Solutions for student parents must include their perspectives, insights, and lived experience. The Parent Powered Solutions Fund proves what is possible when parent voice is at the center. It’s been a pleasure to watch this cohort take the reins and lead this process. Ascend is confident that the recipients of the Fund will transform the postsecondary field.” 

Ascend at the Aspen Institute is the national hub for breakthrough ideas and collaborations that move children and their parents toward educational success, economic security, and health and well-being. We embrace a commitment to racial equity and a gender lens. For more information, visit  https:ascend.aspeninstitute.org 

The Aspen Institute is an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, DC. Its mission is to foster leadership based on enduring values and to provide a nonpartisan venue for dealing with critical issues. The Institute is based in Washington, DC; Aspen, Colorado; and on the Wye River on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. It also has offices in New York City and an international network of partners. For more information, visit  www.aspeninstitute.org 

Imaginable Futures (IF) is a global philanthropic investment firm that believes learning has the power to unlock human potential and aspires to provide every learner with the opportunity and the tools they need to imagine, and to realize, a brighter future. By taking a systems approach to solving complex education challenges, IF works across public, private and social sectors to bring to life transformational ideas in local, national and global contexts for learners of all ages. With a deep commitment to on-the-ground partnership and co-creation with those we serve, Imaginable Futures is empowering learners, families and communities to be the changemakers of the future. Established in 2020 and managed by a global team, Imaginable Futures has invested $200 million in more than 100 partners across Africa, Latin America and the United States, as well as in India with sister organization, Omidyar Network India. Imaginable Futures is a venture of The Omidyar Group and is founded and funded by Pierre and Pam Omidyar. Follow us at @imaginablefut and learn more at  www.imaginablefutures.com.  

ECMC Foundation is a Los Angeles-based, nationally focused foundation whose mission is to inspire and to facilitate improvements that affect educational outcomes—especially among underserved populations—through evidence-based innovation. It is one of several affiliates under the ECMC Group (www.ecmcgroup.org) enterprise based in Minneapolis. ECMC Foundation makes investments in two focus areas: College Success and Career Readiness; and uses a spectrum of funding structures, including strategic grantmaking and program-related investments, to invest in both nonprofit and for-profit ventures. Working with grantees, partners and peers, ECMC Foundation’s vision is for all learners to unlock their fullest potential. For more information, visit www.ecmcfoundation.org.  

# # #  

Photo of Generation Hope Scholar and daughter on the playground. Generation Hope is a nonprofit based in Washington, DC, providing wraparound, two-generation support to young parents in college and their pre-kindergarten little ones, and promoting student parents’ college completion through national advocacy and direct technical assistance to colleges and universities.

Related Posts

Today, Ascend at the Aspen Institute (Ascend) released the second season of “1 in 5,” its highly rated podcast that explores the multifaceted lives of the one in five college students raising children.
Press ReleasesMarch 20, 2023
Photo of Dominique Baker seated with her two sons outside their home
Dominique Baker married her high school sweetheart and planned to pursue a degree in social work, but her first semester in college proved to be both financially and mentally exhausting. As her family grew and Dominique took stock of the things she wanted for herself and her two children, she made the decision to leave …

‘1 in 5’ Season 2 Episode 6: Meet Dominique Baker Read More »

Aspen Postsecondary Success for ParentsMarch 19, 2023
Today, Ascend at the Aspen Institute announced that eight Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) have joined its Black and Native Family Futures Fund.
Press ReleasesDecember 13, 2022
Yolanda Johnson-Peterkin was taught to always take care of those around her, but didn’t always see education as a way of doing so After dropping out of school and later finding herself incarcerated and pregnant, Yolanda became determined to change the course of her life. Once she was released, Yolanda focused on establishing a relationship …

‘1 in 5’ Season 2 Episode 5: Meet Yolanda Johnson-Peterkin Read More »

Aspen Postsecondary Success for ParentsDecember 1, 2022
Drayton Jackson experienced homelessness for almost 20 years. Today, Drayton utilizes his lived experience to advocate for others in a similar position—but it wasn’t always easy adjusting to having a seat at the table. Drayton, now the father of eight, is setting boundaries and goals for himself to achieve a healthy work-life balance. Along with …

‘1 in 5’ Season 2 Episode 4: Catching up with Drayton Jackson Read More »

Aspen Postsecondary Success for ParentsDecember 1, 2022
1 in 5 Student Parent Podcast
Soren’s interest in higher education has always been rooted in an interest in the environment, even from childhood. As an adult, after struggling with their own mental health, Soren became interested in psychology, and pursued jobs in the medical field, but was soon discouraged by the for-profit medical system. Soren went through challenging transitions in …

‘1 in 5’ Season 2 Episode 3: Meet Soren Read More »

Aspen Postsecondary Success for ParentsDecember 1, 2022
Ignacio Angel has decided to define for himself what success looks like as a college student and father of four. The for-profit trade school he went to, which was later investigated for preying on vulnerable students, never delivered on promises of a job, and landed him in debt. With Lilly’s help, he found a support …

‘1 in 5’ Season 2 Episode 2: Meet Ignacio Angel Read More »

Aspen Postsecondary Success for ParentsDecember 1, 2022
Dr. Daria Willis brings her extensive education and her own experience as a student parent to her role as president of Howard Community College in Columbia, Maryland. Daria had her daughter, Lyric, during her first year in college. She shares how keenly she felt the social stigma of being a single parent. It took a …

‘1 in 5’ Season 2 Episode 1: Meet Daria Willis Read More »

Aspen Postsecondary Success for ParentsDecember 1, 2022
Today, Ascend at the Aspen Institute (Ascend) released the second season of “1 in 5,” its highly rated podcast that explores the multifaceted lives of the one in five college students raising children.
Press ReleasesDecember 1, 2022
1 in 5 Student Parent Podcast
The 1 in 5 podcast vividly profiles students who are parents pursuing their education while raising a family and working. Today, more than one in five college students (22%) are parents. The experiences of students who are parents should not be unfamiliar or unheard, especially on college campuses. They’re in classrooms and clubs, working jobs and managing finances just like their peers.
BlogDecember 1, 2022
In an op-ed written for Early Learning Nation, 2023 Ascend Parent Advisor, Mikah Jorgensen, shares her personal experience and expertise offering 5 ideas and recommendations for postsecondary institutions to make higher education more supportive of parenting students.
Media MentionsOctober 6, 2022
Today, Ascend at the Aspen Institute (Ascend) announced that 11 new Parent Advisors have joined its Postsecondary Success for Parents initiative (PSP) to help shape Ascend’s expanded agenda to improve higher education policy and practice for student parents.
Press ReleasesSeptember 29, 2022
More than half of the nearly 4 million student parents in the U.S. are students of color, with Black, Native, and Latino students among the most likely to be raising children while in college. In fact, one-third of all Black college students in the U.S. are parents. When higher education is not designed with parents …

A Leadership Imperative: Postsecondary Success for Parents Launches Its Next Phase Read More »

Aspen Postsecondary Success for ParentsSeptember 29, 2022
In an op-ed for Philanthropy News Digest, Ascend founder and executive director Anne Mosle highlights the power and potential in listening to and honoring the expertise of parents and caregivers.
Media MentionsAugust 22, 2022
Today, the Aspen Institute announced its 2022 Aspen Institute Ascend Fellows, 22 leaders from across the United States who are primed to transform systems so that our youngest children and families can thrive.
Ascend FellowshipAugust 8, 2022