Chuck Tiernan, senior director, community impact LEAP Tampa Bay College Access Network, at Community Foundation of Tampa Bay, accepts the 2021 Member of the Year Award of Excellence during NCAN's virtual conference.
LEAP Tampa Bay College Access Network received the Member of the Year Award of Excellence at the 2021 NCAN National Conference, held virtually. This award recognizes the work of a college access and success program to fulfill NCAN's mission of building,
strengthening, and empowering communities and stakeholders to close equity gaps in postsecondary attainment for all students.
LEAP Tampa Bay is a network of over 50 community partners that launched in 2016 to connect students to postsecondary education. One of the organization's primary goals is to ensure that 60% of the region's adults
possess a postsecondary degree or workforce credential by 2025. Because of LEAP's leadership and initiative, Tampa Bay is set to achieve that goal, potentially even sooner than expected.
During the 2018-19 academic year, LEAP Tampa Bay piloted its school-based College and Career Centers. Today, the centers serve approximately 3,800 students across 10 high schools. Staff and volunteers at these College and Career Centers assist with steps
of the college application process, such as standardized testing preparation and essay writing, as well as financial aid planning. The centers also facilitate parent engagement in the college admissions process.
Even in the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when FAFSA completion rates across the nation were plummeting, the College and Career Centers reported an increase in FAFSA completion that was between 5.1-12.8% above the district average, which speaks volumes
to the centers' success.
Additionally, LEAP facilitated the creation of a $3 million scholarship fund to support students in the FUSE program, which helps students transition from completing
associate degrees at state or community colleges to four-year degree programs at the University of South Florida. The scholarship fund has helped support 442 students in the FUSE program thus far.
LEAP also champions the Complete Tampa Bay initiative, which seeks to re-engage students who have temporarily withdrawn from their postsecondary institutions, or "stopped out." The initiative supports students in finding their best-fit institution and
education pathway, completing the financial aid process, maximizing the credits they've already earned, and obtaining resources to meet their basic and academic needs.
Complete Tampa Bay began amid the COVID-19 pandemic and so far has re-engaged 684 students. The initiative is expanding to reach out to members of the high school class of 2020 who've yet to enroll in a postsecondary institution due to complications caused
by the pandemic.
As evidenced by the organization’s numerous projects and partnerships, LEAP Tampa Bay exemplifies the power of collaborative practice to boost postsecondary attainment. LEAP successfully connects multiple higher education institutions, high schools,
other community-based organizations, and local government officials to ensure that students are adequately supported and equipped to succeed in their own desired pathway.
"That any organization can achieve such multi-sector alignment around student success is laudable, especially in LEAP’s five short years,” wrote Tonjua Williams, president of St. Petersburg College, in a letter nominating LEAP for the NCAN award. Williams
later added: “I can think of no other organization more deserving of the Member of the Year Award of Excellence."
As the Member of the Year award winner, LEAP Tampa Bay will receive $5,000 to put toward general operating support, scholarships, and/or professional development.
NCAN solicits nominees from its membership for the annual Awards of Excellence in College Access and Success. A committee of NCAN members reviews all nominations, with final decisions confirmed by the NCAN board of directors. NCAN thanks the members of
the 2021 Awards Committee for their service:
Jamie Covell, Community Engagement Consultant, Iowa College Aid
Jeremy Raff, Coordinator of College and Career Services, School District of Lancaster
Soilo Felix, Chief Program Officer, Be A Leader Foundation
Laurel Wilder, Director of Marketing and Communications, College Now Greater Cleveland
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