Bellwether Award Winners

The nationally recognized Bellwether Award focuses on cutting-edge, trendsetting programs worthy of replication. Annually, 30 community colleges are deemed finalists from a large group of applicants in the United States and its territories. The selected colleges compete for one of three Bellwether Awards.

2025 Winners Press Release

Instructional Programs & Services

Programs or activities that have been designed and successfully implemented to foster or support teaching and learning in the community college.

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Forsyth Tech Community College (Winston-Salem, North Carolina)

College Lift: Elevating Futures, Empowering Communities

Digital Binder College website

Summer Innovation Series Coming Soon

Planning, Governance & Finance

Programs or activities that have been designed and successfully implemented to improve efficiency and effectiveness in the community college.

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Fletcher Technical Community College (Schriever, Louisiana)

Fletcher's Scorecard: Enhancing Accountability, Productivity, and Student Success

Digital Binder College website

Summer Innovation Series Coming Soon

Workforce Development

Public and/or private strategic alliances and partnerships that promote community and economic development by producing workforce.

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Madisonville Community College - (Madisonville, Kentucky)

From Coal to Careers: The Lisman Workforce Complex

Digital Binder College website

Summer Innovation Series Coming Soon

Past Award Recipients

2024 Winners

Instructional Programs & Services

Programs or activities that have been designed and successfully implemented to foster or support teaching and learning in the community college.

Reading Area College (Reading, Pennsylvania)

Nurturing Growth in the Teacher Pipeline: A Transformative Success Pathway

Digital Binder College website

Summer Innovation Series

Planning, Governance & Finance

Programs or activities that have been designed and successfully implemented to improve efficiency and effectiveness in the community college.

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Lakeshore Technical College (Cleveland, Wisconsin)

Hiring, Onboarding Investments are Critical to Success

Digital Binder College website

Summer Innovation Series

Workforce Development

Public and/or private strategic alliances and partnerships that promote community and economic development by producing workforce.

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St. Louis Community College ( St. Louis, Missouri)

Show Me Synergy: Growing the Healthcare Workforce in St. Louis

Digital Binder College website

Summer Innovation Series

2023 Winners

Instructional Programs & Services

Programs or activities that have been designed and successfully implemented to foster or support teaching and learning in the community college.

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Hudson County Community College (Jersey City, New Jersey)

“Hudson Scholars"

Digital Binder College website

Innovation Series 2024 Legacy Winners

Planning, Governance & Finance

Programs or activities that have been designed and successfully implemented to improve efficiency and effectiveness in the community college.

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Alamo Colleges District (San Antonio, Texas)

“Fulfilling the Higher Education Promise through Off-Campus Work-Study Employment”

Digital Binder College website

Summer Innovation Series

Workforce Development

Public and/or private strategic alliances and partnerships that promote community and economic development by producing workforce.

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Atlanta Technical College (Atlanta, Georgia)

“The Atlanta Technical College Center for Workforce Innovation“

Digital Binder College website

Summer Innovation Series

2022 Winners

Instructional Programs & Services

Programs or activities designed and successfully implemented to foster or support teaching and learning in the community college.

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Community College of Baltimore County (Baltimore, Maryland)

“General Education As A Mechanism To Promote Equitable Access To High Impact Practices “

Digital Binder Innovation Series Recording

Planning, Governance & Finance

Programs or activities that have been designed and successfully implemented to improve efficiency and effectiveness in the community college.

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Ocean County College (Ocean County, New Jersey)

“Meet Reggie: The AI Chatbot Transforming Ocean County College”

Digital Binder Innovation Series Recording

Workforce Development

Public and/or private strategic alliances and partnerships that promote community and economic development by producing workforce.

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Houston Community College (Houston, Texas)

“Celebrating Entrepreneurship: The Foundation of America’s Economy“

Digital Binder Innovation Series Recording

2021 Winners

Instructional Programs & Services

College of the Canyons (Santa Clarita, California)

“Dismantling Barriers to Support Students: Placement Exams & Developmental Courses“

Digital Binder Virtual Session Recording College website

Planning, Governance & Finance

Southwest Tennessee Community College (STCC) (Memphis, Tennessee)

“Redesign, Reinvent, and Reset: Organizing for Large Scale Systemic Change”

Digital Binder Virtual Session Recording College website

Workforce Development

Oxnard College (Oxnard, California)

“Project RECOVER – Revisions Encompassing COVID Operations, Valuing Emergency Responders“

Digital Binder Virtual Session Recording College website

2020 Winners

Instructional Programs & Services

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Pima Community College (Tuscon, AZ)

“Transform Developmental Education, Transform an Institution“

Innovations Webinar College website

Planning, Governance & Finance

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Howard Community College (Columbia, MD)

“Cloud Migration“

Innovations Webinar College website

Workforce Development

Central Arizona College (Coolidge, AZ)

“Education at the Speed of Industry”

Innovations Webinar College website

2019 Bellwether Award Winners

Instructional Programs & Services

Polk State College (Winter Haven, FL)

“Transforming Advanced Technical Education Through Innovative New Models“

Planning, Governance & Finance

San José Evergreen Community College District (San Jose, CA)

“Silicon Valley Career Pathways: Northern California’s Largest Network of STEM Education & Career Programs“

Workforce Development Category

San Jacinto College (Pasadena, TX)

“San Jacinto College Maritime: Partnerships, Risk, and Results”

Legacy

An award given every five years!

Outstanding Bellwether winning programs that have illustrated five or more years of successful implementation and replication.

The 2019 Winners:

Amarillo College, Amarillo, TX

No Excuses Poverty Initiative: Creating a Culture of Caring

Poverty is the greatest barrier to student success facing higher education. By creating caring systems to address poverty, students succeed. AC’s No Excuses Poverty Initiative embraces systems change by integrating accelerated learning, predictive-analytics, and wrap-around social services to overcome poverty, resulting in a completion growth rate of 185% since 2012.

Presenters:

Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart, President, Amarillo College
Michele Fortunato, AC Board of Regents member, Amarillo College
Cara Crowley, VP of Strategic Initiatives, Amarillo College
Jordan Herrera, Director of Social Services, Amarillo College

2018 Bellwether Award Winners

Instructional Programs & Services

College of the Desert Palm Desert, CA

“Breaking Down the Basic Skills Barrier: Creating Pathways through the Basic Skills Sequence to support Student Success, Equity, and Completion (EDGE)“

Planning, Governance & Finance

Johnston Community College, Smithfield, NC

“One College – New Operational Model for Community Colleges“

Workforce Development Category

Pueblo Community College, Pueblo, CO

“Mobile Learning Labs – Paving New Pathways Addressing the need for skilled workers”

2017 Bellwether Award Winners

Instructional Programs & Services

Pensacola State College, Pensacola, FL

Virtual Tutoring at Pensacola State College

The Pensacola State College Virtual Tutoring Program increases academic support services and makes those services easily accessible. Instructors and peer tutor offer free, online, synchronous tutoring to students from any location with any electronic device with internet access. This quality academic support is offered at times most convenient to students

Planning, Governance & Finance

Amarillo College Amarillo, TX

Education Across Barriers: Creating a Systemic Approach Addressing Poverty in Higher Education

In June 2011, Amarillo College (AC) revolutionized its institution when it created a systemic approach to addressing poverty barriers for students. Today, AC’s No Excuses Poverty Initiative is the connector between campus programs, services and projects designed to support students, boost graduation and transfer, and increase student persistence.

Workforce Development Category

Cuyahoga Community College Cleveland, OH

Integrated Pathways: From Pathways to Pipelines to Student Success

The Manufacturing Center of Excellence provides students with an integrated and accelerated pathway to completion and a pipeline to industry through training in high demand areas. The goal is to be more than a training provider; we are the catalyst for connective solutions between industry, our college, and the community.

2016 Bellwether Award Winners

Instructional Programs & Services

Gaston College, Dallas, NC

It All Begins with a SPARC3: The Power of Inquiry and Undergraduate Research at the Community College

This presentation highlighted the implementation and success of inquiry-based instruction, undergraduate research, and enhanced student services through the SPARC3 initiative at Gaston College. SPARC3 activities have transformed faculty and students and spurred dramatic increases in enrollment, retention, and graduation rates in the Associate of Science program at the College.

From left to right
Dale Campbell, Professor and Director, Institute of Higher Education, University of Florida

Chelsey King, Student, Gaston College

Madison Staves, Student, Gaston College

James Smith, Board of Trustees Chair, Gaston College

Patricia Skinner, President, Gaston College

Janna Stover, Student, Gaston College

Ashley Hagler, SPARC3 director, Gaston College

Heather Woodson, Dean of Arts and Sciences, Gaston College

Melissa Armstrong, Science and Math Chair, Gaston College

Amy Fugate President, National Council of Instructional Administrators & Vice President Academic Affairs Mott Community College Flint, MI

Planning, Governance & Finance

Central Community College, Grand Island, NE

GRADES – Guiding Reintegration and Directing Educational Success for Veterans and Military Students through Faculty and Staff Professional Development

GRADES is a professional development program with a unique approach that engages faculty and staff in understanding the challenges veterans face reintegrating into the classroom. This flagship program continues to facilitate a cultural shift on campuses, which ultimately benefits veteran student success in colleges and communities across the country.

From left to right
Dale Campbell, Professor and Director, Institute of Higher Education, University of Florida

Travis Karr, Director, Veteran & Military Services, Central Community College

Anthony Chaulk, Student Veteran, Central Community College

Thomas Walker, College Vice President and Campus President, Central Community College

Dennis Gallon, Chair, 2016 FUTURES CEO Commission & Past President Palm Beach State College, FL representing the Council for Resource Development

Workforce Development Category

Alamo Colleges, San Antonio, TX

Alamo Colleges I-BEST: The Student’s Unique Journey

Alamo I-BEST serves low-skilled adults while meeting workforce demands in the San Antonio area. Participants have the unique opportunity to receive accelerated contextualized skills-based instruction while earning high-demand occupational certificates. This program is imperative to maintain and grow economic development in San Antonio and surrounding South Texas region.

From left to right
Dale Campbell, Professor and Director, Institute of Higher Education, University of Florida

Alamo Representative 1

Alamo Representative 2

Melissa Sadler-Nitu, Director of I-BEST & ABE, District Economic Workforce Development, Alamo Colleges

Alamo Representative 4

Alamo Representative 5

Alamo Representative 6

Kirk While, Board Member, National Council of Continuing Education & Training

Previous Winners From 1995-2004

2014 Legacy Winners

Cleveland State Community College and Chattanooga State Community College Cleveland, TN

Do the Math: Solving the Nation’s Math Problems

Cleveland State’s Do the Math program won the 2009 Bellwether Award in Instructional Programs and Services. The program’s effectiveness has been documented by external studies. Since 2009, Do the Math has spread to Chattanooga State and other colleges across the nation, and is now being implemented in high schools.

Presenters: Dr. Carl Hite, President, Cleveland State Community College Mrs. Karen Wyrick, Math Department Chair, Cleveland State Community College Mr. John Squires,Math Department Head, Chattanooga State Community College

Contact Us

We are here to address your questions and share our latest news. Reach out to us if we don’t reach out to you!

For general questions:

Rose Martinez, PhD
Director

rmartinez1702@alamo.edu