Blog
Announcing: Ascend and JED’s Mental Health Partnership for Student Parents
Contact: Alexis Williams Ascend at the Aspen Institute alexis.williams@aspeninstitute.org Ascend at the Aspen Institute and The Jed Foundation Announce Partnership To Develop a Mental Health Framework Focused on Students who are Parents Based on results from a literature review released today, leaders will develop evidence-based resources and expert-informed recommendations to address the mental health…
Parents’ Voices 2020: Focus Group Findings
This fall, Ascend at the Aspen Institute launched the Parents’ Voices 2020 Project, the next step in our longstanding effort to cut through the national noise and ask parents directly for their hopes, dreams, challenges, and solutions. With a strategic and intentional focus on racial and gender equity, and an expanded definition of family structures,…
The Secret Sauce: Strategies to Include Social Capital in Human Services
Social capital is the “secret sauce” of the two-generation (2Gen) approach. It manifests itself as increased peer support and a sense of community; connections to family, friends, and neighbors; participation in community and faith-based organizations; school and workplace outreach; leadership and professional development programs; engagement with case managers or career coaches; and other social networks…
Our Collective Challenge and Opportunity Has Never Been Greater
This letter was shared with our Ascend Fellows, Network Partners, and community. Hello Ascenders: Today is exactly one week since nearly 160 million Americans cast their vote. This will go down as one of the most historic and hotly contested presidential elections our nation has ever seen. In the face of unprecedented challenges, people, especially Black, Brown and Indigenous…
Family Prosperity: 10 Minutes with a Leading Early Childhood Researcher on Home-Based Care and Opportunities Ahead
Earlier this year, Ascend launched the Aspen Family Prosperity Innovation Community, our initiative for breakthrough innovations and collaborations that position families to reach educational success, economic prosperity, health and well-being. As we look toward 2021, opportunities and challenges abound for work-family supportive policies – namely, the future of child care. More than ever, families are…
2Gen Level Up Week: Recap and highlights
What a week it has been! From live parent conversations, to story slams, to Twitter chats, we have learned so much from the Ascend Network on how you’re all navigating these times – and more importantly, leveling up your work in such amazing ways. We’ve also been thrilled to release our new resources for the…