Ann Arbor, Michigan, January 25, 2024: Corporation for a Skilled Workforce (CSW) has received $550,000 from Lumina Foundation to extend the Advancing Community Equity for Upward Mobility (ACE-UP) community of practice through June 2025. ACE-UP, initiated in January 2023 with Lumina’s initial backing through June 2024, designs and uplifts strategies colleges can employ to help their industry partners create more inclusive workplace environments, leading to increased worker retention, advancement, and economic success. Since its inception, ACE-UP has served as a unique opportunity for sharing best practices, fostering collaboration, and generating innovative solutions to address the challenges of creating more inclusive institutions and workplaces. Participants collaborate with peer community college and industry partners from across the country, receiving coaching and technical assistance from experts at CSW, alongside nationally recognized researchers, professionals, and practitioners.
The extended timeline will enable ACE-UP to deepen its impact in the community of practice’s five target areas: advancing and institutionalizing equity, aligning policies and practices, enhancing student services, cultivating employer partnerships, and using data to drive decision-making. Current ACE-UP activities, including bi-monthly workshops, technical assistance, and member coaching, will continue through 2025. Additionally, the program extension will incorporate several new elements including an employer-focused affinity group, other topical small group meetings, additional individual coaching sessions, and an in-person convening for community of practice members from each institution scheduled for June 2024.
This new grant will also allow for the addition of new ACE-UP members to join the existing 15 institutions participating in the community of practice. Applications for membership are open until March 14, 2024 (formerly February 29, 2024). Interested applicants can learn more and download the application on the ACE-UP website.
ACE-UP project director and Director of Competencies & Credentials at CSW, Melissa Goldberg, stated, “The ACE-UP Community of Practice is expanding at a pivotal moment. Even as higher education faces national changes to diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, our commitment to ACE-UP’s collaborative work to meet this challenge deepens. With this funding we are expanding our partnership with the ACE-UP member institutions, identifying industry advocacy opportunities, and applying promising practices that create more inclusive campuses enabling all students to thrive.”
“The ACE-UP community of practice has been a vital resource for community colleges working with employers to create equitable education and career opportunities for all students. Lumina is proud to continue our support and we look forward to the next phase and new institutions that will join the cohort,” said Georgia Reagan, strategy officer from Lumina.
ACE-UP members are dedicated to fostering a network that empowers colleges and industry partners to implement sustainable practices, contributing to a workforce landscape that celebrates diversity and provides equal opportunities for all. Together, we are working toward ensuring that learners from all backgrounds can contribute their talents and thrive in their communities. Learn more about ACE-UP on our website www.ace-up.org.
About Corporation for a Skilled Workforce (CSW): CSW is a national workforce policy nonprofit that catalyzes change in educational and labor market systems, policies, and practices to increase economic mobility, particularly for people of color and others historically excluded from success. Since 1991, CSW has focused on achieving scalable improvements in worker skills, lifelong learning, and job quality. CSW collaborates with change makers to develop strategies, identify evidence to inform strategies, build the capacity of organizations, manage initiatives, and evaluate lessons learned.
About Lumina Foundation:
Lumina Foundation is an independent, private foundation in Indianapolis committed to making opportunities for learning beyond high school available to all. We envision higher learning that is easy to navigate, addresses racial injustice, and meets the nation’s talent needs through a broad range of credentials. We are working toward a system that prepares people for informed citizenship and success in a global economy.
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