Inspiration Awards
Now Accepting Applications for 2010
The application deadline for the 2010 Inspiration Awards is November 20, 2009. Please see below for full details.
Winning schools are selected by a panel of independent experts and are announced each April. Three winning schools receive $25,000; five schools receive $1,000 honorable mention awards. All applicant schools will receive a suite of College Board college planning books for the college counseling office.
The College Board Inspiration Awards celebrate the extraordinary commitment of educators and communities to their students' futures. Despite sometimes overwhelming odds, these outstanding schools across America are taking remarkable steps to give their students the bright futures they deserve.
"Our successful school communities are celebrated far too rarely," said College Board President Gaston Caperton. "The Inspiration Awards were created to celebrate America's most remarkable schools and to share their stories as inspiration for educators, parents and communities to do all we can to connect young people with college success."
Each spring the College Board presents Inspiration Awards to three of America's most improved secondary schools. Award-winning schools are recognized for their outstanding college-preparation programs and partnerships among teachers, parents and community organizations. Through their dedication and commitment, these school communities have opened doors to higher education for students facing economic, social and cultural barriers by:
- Improving their academic environment
- Helping a significant percentage of seniors realize the promise of higher education
Eligibility and Application Process
- Applicant schools must be secondary schools in the 50 United States or the District of Columbia.
- A minimum of 40 percent of the school's student population must qualify for free or reduced-price lunches.
- Applicant schools must have graduated at least five senior classes.
- Schools with an academic admission policy in any phase of the admission process are not eligible for an Inspiration Award.
- The school should be able to demonstrate consistent growth across the entire student population in:
- Participation in rigorous curricula, such as the Advanced Placement Program® (AP®);
- The percentage of students participating in college-preparatory course work; and
- The percentage of students accepted to two- or four-year institutions of higher education.
- Previous recipients of the College Board's Inspiration Awards are not eligible, but schools that have received honorable mentions and schools that have applied in the past can and are encouraged to reapply.
- College Board Schools and EXCELerator™ Schools are not eligible.
Application and Directions
Applications can be easily downloaded to your hard drive, completed at your own pace and e-mailed directly to us. We encourage you to read the section below to learn more about the application before you download the electronic form.
- Open the PDF and save it to your hard drive. Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader (latest version recommended).
- Using the interactive fields in the PDF, please provide all of the information and data requested, and complete the open-ended questions. You may enter information in several sittings; just save the PDF each time.
- E-mail your completed application by Friday, Nov. 20, 2009, 5 p.m. EST to inspirationawards@collegeboard.org.
All applicants will be notified of their status on or before April 2010.
The College Board may conduct site visits at select schools.
Please see the 2010 Inspiration Awards Application below:
2010 Inspiration Awards Application (.pdf/2.8M)
If you have any questions while completing the application, call the College Board Communications Office at 212-713-8052 or send an e-mail to inspirationawards@collegeboard.org.