Award Information: 

The purpose of the AAWCC Women Under 40 award is to recognize and elevate exceptional women from community colleges who are consistently surpassing expectations. Each year, we seek to recognize up to 40 rising stars who are making a difference beyond the scope of their primary positions.  This is an annual recognition of the youngest community college women  who are movers, shakers, and influencers on their community college campuses. You may nominate yourself or someone else. The deadline for nominations for the Under 40 awards is fall 2026.

AAWCC will review each nomination. Please be accurate, brief, and convincing. The nomination includes:

• Basic demographic information
• Personal description (not to exceed 300 words) that describes the nominee's accomplishments and impact. 
• Statement of support from a campus leader (vice president or above, if possible). This is a supplemental statement of 150 words or less containing relevant community college and/or contextual information that supports the information.
• A head shot of the nominee is also required. 

Award Information: 

Applications are due March 1, 2026

https://forms.gle/Y2JtLbCbR9KRMu3h6

Carolyn Desjardins CEO Award for Outstanding Service and Support to AAWCC

QUALIFICATIONS:
Must meet at least five of the following criteria:
--Donated an exceptional amount of staff time to achieving AAWCC goals and/or meeting organizational needs.
--Actively sponsored and/or promoted AAWCC philosophical issues that concern women.
--Allocated organizational costs or provided space for AAWCC activities.

--Co-sponsored a major AAWCC event or helped to form a local chapter.
--Lobbied on behalf of AAWCC and its goals (e.g., AACC, other councils, legislators, etc.).
--Housed and supported AAWCC board meetings.
--Campaigned to encourage other presidents to become institutional members of AAWCC.

Mildred Bulpitt Woman of the Year Award

QUALIFICATIONS:
--The Mildred B. Bulpitt Woman of the Year must be a living woman who has an outstanding record of service to women in the two-year college setting.
--She should be a woman whose service to women in two-year colleges deserves national recognition as a role model for two-year college women throughout the country.
--She does not have to be a member of AAWCC, but only AAWCC members may submit nominations.
--She should be actively engaged in work at, or service to, a two-year college. Current AAWCC board members and former award recipients are ineligible.

Trustee of the Year Award

QUALIFICATIONS:

--Serves as a current or past Board of Trustee member for a community college within the last 3 years.
--Has demonstrated outstanding commitment to the college in addition to their role as a Trustee.
--Actively supports issues that concern women.
--Has demonstrated exceptional leadership and is an inspiration to women on her/his/their campus.  

The purpose of the Model Programs Award initiative is to: increase AAWCC membership and enhance participation in AAWCC activities in community colleges, encourage the development of mentoring experiences for women, and promote the sharing of information about programs and activities that support women in community colleges.

Applicants for the Model Program Award choose one of the following four categories: 

1. Program Award: national recognition of an official AAWCC chapter and its members who make a significant contribution on behalf of women through a major project, event or program. Past winners of this award conducted one major annual fundraiser to support an entire year's worth of activities or delivered monthly educational sessions to college and community women. Programs may be in person or virtual.
2. Day of Dialogue Award: recognition of programs and/or chapters that promote and advocate for women through participation in AAWCC's Day of Dialogue program. This award recognizes chapters that develop an engaging, educating, and creative local program expanding on the annual theme. The 2021 Theme was "Climate Justice is Justice for Women."
3. Chapter Award: national recognition of an official AAWCC chapter and its members who, through a variety of programs and/or services, have made significant contributions on behalf of women. The applicant must demonstrate that the AAWCC chapter involved meets all the requirements established by AAWCC for chapter designation. Past winners were chapters that offered educational programs for women, sponsored scholarships for women, contributed to community agencies or events on behalf of women, and/or made a difference at their college campus for women.
4. Community College Award: national recognition of a community college for a program or programs that demonstrate a commitment to equity and excellence for women on campus. Past winners have created such programs as a leadership academy for women that involves challenging professional development activities that promote career advancement.