OneGoal Named Member of the Year at National College Attainment Network 2022 Conference
OneGoal accepts the award as the organization marks its 15th anniversary and on the heels of a groundbreaking study showing students from the program were 40% more likely to graduate from college than peers from similar backgrounds.
ATLANTA, Sept. 13, 2022 – The National College Attainment Network (NCAN), a nonprofit, nonpartisan professional association with nearly 600 member organizations across the U.S. that work to prepare students for college, has named OneGoal its 2022 Member of the Year Award of Excellence recipient at their annual conference.
OneGoal, a leading national postsecondary success organization, accepted the award from NCAN during the opening reception for the conference held in Atlanta.
“After fifteen years of innovation and dedication to advancing postsecondary success for high school students across the nation, OneGoal humbly accepts this award on behalf of the countless students who deserve a far more equitable opportunity to achieve their college and career goals,” declared OneGoal CEO Melissa Connelly in a speech at the Monday night ceremony. “Our team and the passionate educators who carry out this work in classrooms across the country are committed more than ever to closing the degree divide between young people from low-income communities and their high-income peers.”
The Member of the Year award recognizes the work of an NCAN member organization, school, or college/university to fulfill NCAN’s mission of building, strengthening, and empowering communities and stakeholders to close equity gaps in postsecondary attainment for all students.
After receiving endorsements from leaders in academia and government, including Executive Director for Teaching and Learning for the Illinois State Board of Education Jennifer Kirmes, the voting body at NCAN recognized the contributions of OneGoal and their proven approach to equitably supporting first-generation, students of color, and students from low-income communities in achieving their highest postsecondary aspirations.
“In all my years working with service providers, I have rarely seen a group of individuals so steadfast in their commitment to systems-level change,” stated Kirmes in a letter to NCAN. “In Illinois, we are proud to be part of the origin story of so many innovations brought about by OneGoal.”
OneGoal received the prestigious award from NCAN just months after a groundbreaking study by the University of Chicago Inclusive Economy Lab was published, which found that students enrolled in the program were 40% more likely to graduate from college than peers from similar backgrounds. In the 2022-2023 school year, OneGoal will reach more than 13,000 students through partnerships at the school, district, and state levels.
About OneGoal
OneGoal is a leading postsecondary access and success organization dedicated to closing the degree divide and creating a more equitable future. The OneGoal classroom-based model serves students whose postsecondary opportunities might be limited due to their academic and socioeconomic profiles. Students take the OneGoal class during their junior and senior years of high school and continue receiving one-on-one support through the first year of their postsecondary journey. 85% of OneGoal high school graduates enroll in a postsecondary institution, and 74% of those who enroll persist one year after high school. OneGoal students are about 40% more likely to earn their postsecondary degrees than students from similar backgrounds. The OneGoal Leadership Network equips school leaders with the skills, knowledge, and support to achieve more equity in advising and increase postsecondary success for students across entire districts.
For more information on OneGoal, contact Stephen Barker, OneGoal Director of Communications, stephen.barker@onegoalgraduation.org, (316) 734-1042.