Tulane University
Project Title
As a final grant for core support of The Cowen Institute
Date
Jun. 05, 2025
Duration
12 months
Description
The Tulane University’s Cowen Institute addresses the critical need for better alignment between K-12 education, postsecondary education, and the labor market in New Orleans. Despite significant post-Hurricane Katrina reforms, challenges in college enrollment and degree attainment persist. Founded in 2007, the Cowen Institute’s mission is to drive educational and postsecondary success through data-driven research, professional development, and collaborative networks. With a final grant of $250,000 for twelve months, the Cowen Institute will expand key initiatives such as professional development for approximately 150 educators, FAFSA completion workshops for high school seniors, and the New Orleans Data Collaborative. These activities will impact over 7,000 high school students, offering crucial college readiness and career planning support. The institute will also produce the annual Life After High School report, providing valuable data to inform policy and practice, ensuring enhanced educational outcomes citywide.
Website
Project Title
For core support of the Cowen Institute
Date
Sep. 14, 2023
Duration
24 months
Description
The Cowen Institute at Tulane University’s mission is to advance public education and college and career success in the New Orleans community. As an organization, the Cowen Institute works to contextualize data and provide thought leadership, lead high-impact direct programming, build capacity in the education and workforce landscapes, and develop and shape innovative initiatives. Through this multi-faceted approach, the Cowen Institute is driving systemic change by leading efforts to increase postsecondary success for New Orleans youth. Past Corporation support allowed for publication of timely reports and resources related to youth disconnected from work and education in the city as a tool for practitioners serving this population. They were also able to move forward with a new partnership with the New Orleans Public Schools aligned to their Life After High School Work. Continued Corporation support will aid The Cowen Institute as they seek ways to remove the bottlenecks youth traverse as they move from K-12 to higher education to the world of work. They will also support, develop, and pilot innovative pathways to postsecondary success.
Website
Project Title
For core support of the Cowen Institute
Date
Sep. 02, 2021
Duration
24 months
Description
In New Orleans and across the country, there are considerable equity gaps in college access and attainment, which have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic The Cowen Institute is uniquely positioned to address the considerable challenges facing New Orleans and the country by continuing to examine, innovate, and advocate for postsecondary outcomes for all New Orleans youth. The Cowen Institute is committed to changing these outcomes for young people by sharing accessible research and data with the public, serving as a convenor and capacity builder on postsecondary readiness and success best practices, and leading high impact college and career readiness and success programs. The Cowen Institute has the potential to both deepen and expand this work to include rigorous, in-depth qualitative research to elevate the voices of young people within the New Orleans community, allowing the institute and its partners to better understand and respond to these young people’s needs. Continued support will allow the institute to further its work in creating accessible and actionable research and programming for postsecondary pathways to success.
Website
Project Title
For core support of the Cowen Institute
Date
Sep. 12, 2019
Duration
24 months
Description
The Cowen Institute is uniquely positioned to address the considerable challenges facing New Orleans and the country by continuing to examine, innovate, and advocate for postsecondary outcomes for all New Orleans youth. The Cowen Institute will build its capacity to lead and convene the New Orleans College and Career Counseling Collaborative and the New Orleans College Persistence Collaborative, as well as examine the feasibility of a youth pathway from the Institute’s Earn and Learn Career Pathways program through its pilot Trellis hybrid college initiative. The Institute will build on the momentum from the Life After High School launch to develop solutions that prepare students for future success in college, careers, and life.
Website
Project Title
For conducting research and analysis for post-secondary pathways to success - including hosting a convening, leading a visioning process, and disseminating findings
Date
Sep. 07, 2017
Duration
23 months
Description
Founded in 2007, The Cowen Institute at Tulane University will conduct intensive research to explore the trajectories of young people in New Orleans and develop possible solutions to improve college-going and persistence. The Cowen team will establish clear baseline data on the status of New Orleans youth in particular age bands; lead a convening of local and national thought leaders; develop recommendations for community-level responses; and prepare and disseminate a report on research methodology and best practices that can be used by other communities. The goal is to create a vision for meaningful, high-quality pathways to postsecondary opportunities and credentials for socioeconomically disadvantaged youth for use in New Orleans and communities nationwide.
Website
Project Title
For core support of the Cowen Institute
Date
Sep. 08, 2016
Duration
24 months
Description
The Cowen Institute was founded in 2007 to sustain efforts led by Scott Cowen, then president of Tulane University, to transform the city’s public schools after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The major pillars of the Institute’s work are public education, college and career success, and enabling “opportunity youth” to reconnect with education and the workforce. The Institute’s unique approach combines policy research, cross-sector collaboration, and the development of proof points through direct service programming in order to address complex issues through systems change. Carnegie will support the Tulane Earn and Learn Program, which supports young people on career pathways in high-growth, high-wage industries; and the New Orleans Opportunity Works Program, which improves the quality of social service supports available to local young people. These projects are central to achieving the Institute’s mission to advance public education and youth success in New Orleans and beyond.
Website
Project Title
Academic Leadership Award in recognition of Tulane University President Scott Cowen's outstanding academic and institutional leadership
Date
Sep. 10, 2009
Duration
12 months
Website
Project Title
Toward support under the Revitalizing New Orleans Initiative
Date
Jun. 14, 2007
Duration
36 months