Click image to nominate an innovator.
The past year has been one like no other. In March, school hallways were void of students due to the COVID-19 pandemic, causing learning and other school supports to quickly pivot to be conducted virtually. Through navigating this new terrain, schools, communities, and local leaders throughout Florida have continued pushing forward to support students’ dreams of pursuing education beyond high school, despite the calamities and hardships caused by COVID-19. Now more than ever, we want to recognize those who have risen above the challenges of this past year to ensure Florida students continue to have a bright outlook for their futures.
FCAN invites you to nominate an innovator from your school, business, or community (including yourself!) who made impactful contributions and utilized innovative strategies to increase the effectiveness of any of FCAN’s College Ready Florida initiatives and/or strengthen workforce education in your community and beyond.
We offer two categories to recognize innovators:
1. College Ready Florida Innovator
2. Workforce Education Innovator
College Ready Florida Innovator
Are you, a colleague, or community organization going above and beyond the call to support students’ college dreams? How are you increasing the effectiveness of any of FCAN’s College Ready Florida initiatives: Apply Yourself Florida, Florida FAFSA Challenge, Florida College Decision Day, and Plan It Florida? How have you exercised new strategies this past year to support students with the college-going process during the COVID-19 pandemic? For instance, how have you successfully adapted your support to a virtual environment? Do you offer unique incentives or leverage social media in a way that motivated more students to participate? Have you partnered with other organizations (schools, community organizations, non-profit agencies, local college access networks, higher education institutions, AmeriCorps, Campus Compact, banking institutions, etc.)? In adapting your supports due to the pandemic, how have you discovered more effective ways of supporting students that will inform your strategies after the pandemic is over? Given the setbacks to traditional supports, how have you engaged students to stay on track:
- Applying to postsecondary education (CTE, college or university)
- Completing the FAFSA
- Building a plan for life after high school
- Celebrating postsecondary plans
Workforce Education Innovator
Are you, a colleague, community leader, or business going above and beyond to help Floridians access workforce training and education to achieve a rewarding career? How have you exercised new strategies to strengthen workforce education in your community or business this past year during the COVID-19 pandemic? How are you helping address non-academic barriers so students can complete a credential? In adapting your approach due to the pandemic, how have you discovered more effective ways of supporting students that will inform your strategies after the pandemic is over?
Nominations are due by 5 PM on Friday February 26, 2021.
Questions? Please contact LaVerne Handfield at lhandfield@floridacollegeaccess.org