Norco College’s Summer Advantage program, a collaborative model for building the future with college readiness, won the Bellwether Award in the Instructional Program and Services category. The category winners were announced Tuesday, January 27, after administrators from Norco College and Corona-Unified School District presented aspects of the program and success rates for Summer Advantage at the Community College Futures Assembly on January 26 in Orlando, FL.

Summer Advantage was selected as the category winner over nine other community college programs in the Instructional Program and Service category.

“We are thrilled to receive this prestigious award,” said Norco College President Paul Parnell. “The competition was tough, but our team did a great job at presenting the Summer Advantage model and the success it has brought to our incoming students.”

The Bellwether Awards, established in 1995, are a part of the Community College Futures Assembly, sponsored by the Institute of Higher Education at the University of Florida. The Assembly focuses on cutting-edge, trendsetting programs that other colleges might find worthy of replicating. The Bellwether Awards are given annually in three categories to colleges with outstanding and innovative programs or practices. The Instructional Programs and Services (IPS) category recognizes programs or services that have been designed and successfully implemented to foster or support teaching and learning in the community college.

“This is one of the highest honors an institution can receive. The awards are similar to being selected by your peers for the Oscar ®” or Emmy® Award,” said Dale F. Campbell, professor and director of the Community College Futures Assembly and Institute of Higher Education. “Leaders from the winning institution are often recruited by other colleges to replicate the award-winning program. They also receive hundreds of phone calls and visits by other colleges wanting to replicate the success of their program.”

“This recognition is a testament to the power of community partnerships and the tremendous impact they can make on the success of our students. Congratulations to Norco College and the Summer Advantage team for receiving this outstanding award,” said Corona-Norco Unified School District’s Superintendent Dr. Michael Lin.

Summer Advantage was developed in 2012 by College staff, in collaboration with the Corona-Norco Unified School District. Together the two groups developed a unique first-year experience for graduating high school seniors to address the lack of college readiness skills. Norco College derived its solution from intensive faculty and administration collaboration to launch Summer Advantage. Students placing below college level readiness in math and composition participate in workshops giving them a chance to demonstrate their true abilities. Most participants subsequently placed one to three levels higher and demonstrated success in their first level mathematics and English courses. Students in the program receive a student education plan, early registration, and guaranteed English and mathematics enrollment in the fall of their freshman year.

Other winners in the Bellwether competition were: Flathead Valley Community College (MT) in the Planning, Governance, and Finance (PGF) category and Alamo Colleges, San Antonio (TX ) in the Workforce Development (WD) category. Click on the link to view category list and winners: https://education.ufl.edu/futures/.