Every May, Ascend recognizes the importance of raising awareness about mental health and the multifaceted ways that it impacts family prosperity and well-being.

During the 2022–2023 school year, there was a significant increase in the number of schools and districts participating in community eligibility, according to FRAC’s latest report, Community Eligibility: The Key to Hunger-Free Schools, School Year 2022–2023. This report analyzes community eligibi

The COVID-19 pandemic has upended life for children and families globally.

Many students and families arrive in the U.S. from other countries without safe, stable housing, and experience homelessness and high mobility that can last for months.

We are delighted to share a new research report in partnership with Child Trends: Data on Families with Low Incomes Across America Can Inform Two-Generation Approaches.

At this time of year, pull up to a busy intersection or pass by some popular public gathering place in and around Durham, and there’s a good chance you might find a sign advertising “PreK for All.” January kicks off Durham PreK’s annual recruitment campaign for the approaching school year, and if yo

The findings from a Syracuse University study linking universal school meal policies with improved school attendance for young students provides a strong case for expanding free school meals, according to school nutrition and attendance experts.

In the 2020-21 school year, more than 25 million children and youth – roughly half of all elementary and secondary students in the United States – attended schools in school districts that lacked dedicated funding to identify and support students experiencing homelessness.

Homelessness is a traumatic experience with long-term consequences, particularly for infants and toddlers in their most critical stages of development. Yet homelessness among young children is hidden.

In 2020 we launched a dedicated effort to learn more about legal issues surrounding unaccompanied minors experiencing homelessness.

Looking largely at the 2020-2021 school year, the report is chock-full of information about how schools apply research-based strategies in a variety of different contexts – from very different school systems across multiple states – to make research translate into positive experiences and outcomes f

When public libraries and public housing authorities intentionally join forces, the benefits are real and lasting for those living in public housing. This session highlights the partnership between Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) and Cleveland Public Library (CPL).

Housing providers are uniquely positioned to find innovative and meaningful ways to engage residents with lived experience in program design and implementation to ensure investments are focused, efficient, and culturally appropriate.

This panel discussion will examine the results of efforts to significantly expand the reach of HUD’s Family Self-Sufficiency Program through partnerships between the nonprofit Compass Working Capital and the Boston and Cambridge Housing Authorities.

This session will review the extent to which local jurisdictions engaged with school districts in the 2016-17 Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) process and preview the potential for PHAs to engage with school districts and school data in the upcoming renewal of the HUD AFFH process.

Public and affordable housing agencies and organizations have the potential to serve as a crucial foundation for promoting early school success for economically challenged, fragile and otherwise marginalized children and families through a 24/7/365 multigenerational system of support and an ability

The Housing Is team will be joined by staff from the Department of Education and Department of Housing and Urban Development to discuss evaluation considerations and best practices when evaluating multi-sector, community-based interventions such as the Promise and Choice Neighborhoods Initiatives.

Educators play an important role in supporting students' mental well-being. The pandemic has added incredible layers of stress for both adults and young people.

State and local policymakers are making consequential decisions about the treatment of race and racism in schools. It is crucial, right now, to slow down, consider the evidence from research and experience, and apply that knowledge to improve teaching about race and racism.

The just-released America After 3PM special report, “STEM Learning in Afterschool on the Rise, But Barriers and Inequities Exist,” finds that afterschool programs are offering more STEM learning opportunities, but inequities exist and too many young people are missing out.

Use this toolkit to assist in pursuing partnerships with school districts to provide afterschool and summer programs to support student recovery.

Every child in an early childhood setting should have a teacher with specialized education to promote that child’s cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development and who prepares them for success in school and in life.

Higher education offers millions of people the opportunity to improve their financial well-being. However, higher education is prohibitively expensive and can saddle people with insurmountable debt.