Blog
Statement on the Government Shutdown
The partial government shutdown is now the longest in history, and families are suffering for it. News reports indicate that communities of color and Native American tribes are being hit particularly hard. Ascend at the Aspen Institute is deeply concerned about the painful impact of the shutdown on the economic security, educational success, and health…
Dreams Don’t Work Unless We Do
Ascend at the Aspen Institute and GOOD+ Foundation convened fathers, researchers, thought leaders, policymakers, and social service program leaders to explore the father factor – a critical link in building strong families and communities – at the end of November 2018. Reverend Dr. Raphael Gamaliel Warnock, Ascend Fellow and senior pastor of the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church…
Family Prosperity: Value All Care, Value Every Family
“I found myself sitting in a cubicle at work, while my son is in the hospital really fighting for his life, and that’s a decision that no parent should have to make.” – Britta, a mother featured in the Zero Weeks documentary. Times are changing rapidly for families—our households, work and the workforce do not…
The Women Wave: Fueling a Revolution of Respect and Dignity for All
Photo caption, from left to right: Ingrid Saunders Jones, National Chair, The National Council of Negro Women, Inc.; Cathy Trost, Executive Director and Senior Vice President, Freedom Forum Institute; Lorraine Hariton, President and CEO, Catalyst; Anne Mosle, Vice President, Aspen Institute, and Executive Director, Ascend at the Aspen Institute In the fall of 2017, the courageous stand by…
Bringing It All Together: Igniting Innovation for Family Prosperity
In February, Ascend launched the Aspen Family Prosperity Innovation Community in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to bring together some of the brightest minds and dynamic leaders across multiple sectors to identify new and different ways to ensure families in America find opportunity and thrive. Each member of Family Prosperity represents a thoughtfully-selected…
Supporting Social Impact in DC: A Conversation with Marjorie Sims and Billy Shore
Last week, Ascend Managing Director, Marjorie Sims, had the privilege of moderating an Aspen Institute roundtable conversation with Billy Shore, founder and CEO of Share Our Strength. The conversation was part of a new initiative launched by Aspen Institute CEO, Dan Porterfield and co-led by Sims and Public Programs Vice President Jamie Miller focused on…