Meet the 2011 CollegeKeys Compact Innovation Awards Winners

Benjamin Overton (far left) and Munir Abdol, from the University of Washington, receive their Innovation Award from Ron Williams (right) at the Western Regional Forum.

This February and March, 12 CollegeKeys Compact members received special recognition through the CollegeKeys Innovation Awards program. In each of the College Board’s six regions, initiatives in the categories of Getting Ready, Getting In and Getting Through were selected for their innovation and demonstrated efficacy in increasing the percentage of low-income students who get ready for, get into or get through college successfully. Each winning submission will receive an award of $5,000 to help expand or sustain the program.  

“These institutions are creating and implementing programs to help more students prepare for and pursue a college education,” said College Board President Gaston Caperton. “Congratulations to this year’s CollegeKeys Compact Innovation Awards winners for leading the charge toward the common goal of a 55 percent graduation rate by 2025, and in giving our students the best possible opportunities to succeed in college and beyond.”

The Innovation Awards celebrate some of America’s most powerful efforts to improve the academic success of students from low-income backgrounds. These institutions have instituted exemplary practices that can be replicated, adapted and expanded in other education settings. They can be used by educators, institutional leaders and policymakers to promote policies and practices that have a far-reaching impact for low-income and minority students who need help to get ready for, get into and get through college.

“By recognizing these programs, we hope to inspire other institutions to continue to expand opportunities for low-income students to successfully prepare for, attend and complete college. We are committed to partnering with key stakeholders across the country to identify and remove barriers to success for underserved students,” said Ronald Williams, the College Board vice president who leads the CollegeKeys™ initiative.

The CollegeKeys Compact was launched in October 2007 following a two-year review of independent research, policy and practices in academic preparation and planning, admission, financial aid, and retention. A report issued by the College Board found that nearly one-half of all college-qualified low- and moderate-income high school graduates do not enroll in a four-year college program because of a combination of poor preparation, low expectations and financial barriers. The goal of CollegeKeys Compact partners is to see that students from low-income backgrounds are represented in, and graduate from, colleges and universities at the same rate as their more affluent peers.

Congratulations to the 2011 Innovation Awards winners!

Middle States Region (MSRO)

• Getting Ready: SEO Scholars Program, Sponsors for Educational Opportunity, NY
• Getting In: ISA College Prep/Acceptance, Wyandanch Memorial High School, NY
• Getting Through: Onward College Support Program, Harlem Educational Activities Fund, NY

Midwestern Region (MRO)           

• Getting Ready: Blueprint: College, Ohio State University, OH
• Getting Through: Purdue Promise, Purdue University, IN

New England Region (NERO)

• Getting Through: College Success Program, Bottom Line, MA

Southern Region (SRO)

• Getting Ready: College Readiness for All: A Systemwide Approach, Hillsborough County Public Schools, FL
• Getting In: Vandy Fan for a Day, Vanderbilt University, TN
• Getting Through: Student Transition Empowerment Program, George Mason University, VA

Southwestern Region (SWRO)

• Getting Through: College Persistence Program, College Forward, TX

Western Region (WRO)

• Getting Ready: Dream Project, University of Washington, WA
• Getting Through: College Life 101, University of Nevada, Reno, NV