ENGLEWOOD — Kennedy-King College is among 10 finalists being considered for a national award that includes a $1 million prize.
The Aspen Institute, an educational organization in Washington, D.C., will visit Kennedy-King, 740 W. 63rd St., Oct. 14-15 before selecting a winner of its Community College Excellence Award, said Arshele Stevens, president of the college.
"I think we have a great chance of winning," she said. "We are the only college in the Midwest being considered at this point."
Aspen Institute officials said they were impressed with Kennedy-King.
“In a community with significant economic and social challenges, Kennedy-King has shown that diligent and thoughtful work can result in rapid and dramatic improvements in graduation rates and, in turn, deliver what students most want and need: strong pathways to jobs and continuing higher education," said Joshua Wyner, executive director of the Aspen Institute’s College Excellence program.
The Aspen award is given out every two years and recognizes outstanding institutions selected from an original pool of more than 1,000 community colleges. The organization focuses on student success, and the award assesses community colleges’ achievements in four areas: student learning, certificate and degree completion, high rates of employment and earnings for graduates, and high levels of access and success for minority and low-income students.
A grand prize winner and four runners-up will be announced March.
Kennedy-King spokeswoman Roxanne Brown said the college had 1,164 students who earned degrees and certificates last year
The other nine finalists are Brazosport College in Lake Jackson, Texas; El Paso Community College in El Paso, Texas; Eugenio María de Hostos Community College, CUNY in Bronx, N.Y.; Indian River State College in Fort Pierce, Fla.; Lake Area Technical Institute in Watertown, S.D.; Olympic College in Bremerton, Wash.; Renton Technical College in Renton, Wash.; Santa Fe College in Gainesville, Fla.; and West Kentucky Community and Technical College in Paducah, Ky.
Last year's winners were Santa Barbara City College in Santa Barbara, Calif., and Walla Walla Community College in Walla Walla, Wash.
Earlier this year, 150 colleges from 37 states had been considered, including Wilbur Wright College on the North Side, before the list was narrowed to 10.
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here:
