Applications are Currently Open

Through this application we invite community colleges and other postsecondary providers to submit proposals to join the ACE-UP community of practice.

Applicants should indicate their institution’s commitment to equity and where it falls according to the stages of development defined below:

1. Equity planning is at the design
2. The applicant is at the early implementation stage in its equity
3. The applicant is at the full implementation stage in its equity

Community college applicants must indicate the names and roles of 3-5 staff who will participate in ACE- UP activities, indicating the departments they represent (workforce development, advising, student services, academics, institutional research, and/or other they believe have a role to contribute to this work). Each institution must name a team lead who will serve as the primary point of contact and will attend all activities as part of this community of practice. Additionally, the names and roles of industry partners, representing employers, industry/trade associations, and/or labor unions should be included, if available. Applicants selected to participate in ACE-UP must commit to:

• Attending and actively participating in 7-12 virtual meetings between April 2024 and June 2025
• Attending the ACE-UP in-person meeting convening in Washington D.C. in June 2024 (two representatives from each institution will be funded to attend)
• Selecting and piloting applicable strategies with industry partners while documenting key lessons learned, successes, and
• Contributing resources and tools for the purpose of supporting peer implementation, and, later, systems-level
• Providing regular, ongoing feedback to help inform meeting content, subject matter expert selection, and CSW’s technical assistance and coaching strategy.
• Participating in webinars uplifting key lessons learned and strategies piloted, for the purpose of advancing equitable practices
• Working with researchers from The Urban Institute who will conduct virtual interviews with staff from selected institutions, review documents, and available aggregate data, to inform case studies and CoP

Eligible applicants: Public or private not-for-profit community colleges, historically Black community colleges, Hispanic-serving community colleges, and/or tribal community colleges, and their industry partners. ACE-UP seeks to convene a diverse array of community colleges, both large and small, rural and urban, and those with a focus on a wide array of industries. Industry partners can include employers, industry trade associations, and/or organized labor.

Application Submission: Applications must be submitted via email. Please record responses to the questions on the application for participation below and submit in .doc or .pdf format to ace@skilledwork.org.

Review of applications: Applications will be reviewed in March by the CSW professionals who make up the ACE-UP team.

Selection of applicants: To select a diverse cohort, the ACE-UP team is committed to an open and equitable selection process. We recognize that institutions may be at varying stages in implementing equity initiatives. Our goal is to assemble the best possible range of participating institutions to promote idea generation, learning, and bringing ideas to scale with a community of committed practitioners, advancing equity in their institutions. Applications serve as a demonstration of initiative and willingness to participate, and will be measured against the following rubric:

Memorandum of Understanding: An MOU will formalize the arrangement between the selected applicant and Corporation for a Skilled Workforce.

Duration: Participation in the Initiative will extend from April 2024 to June 2025.

Questions: Questions about the application may be sent to Diamond Dickerson at ace@skilledwork.org.

ACE-UP is a creation of Corporation for a Skilled Workforce (CSW). To learn more about CSW and their role in catalyzing change in educational and labor market systems to increase economic mobility, particularly for people of color and others historically excluded from success, visit their website at www.skilledwork.org