See the 2023-2024 Innovation of the Year Award-winning innovations below!
The 2024-2025 Innovation of the Year Awards will be open January 6-April 4, 2025.
Established over 35 years ago, the League’s Innovation of the Year Awards were devised as a way to recognize significant innovations at Board and Alliance member colleges. These innovations reflect significant achievements and the spirit of innovation and experimentation upon which the League was founded. The award honors faculty, staff, and administrators at member colleges who have created and implemented innovative programs, practices, partnerships, policies, and activities that improve the institution’s ability to serve students and the community. Participation in these awards is a League membership benefit.
Selection
The League does not facilitate the selection process. Participating institutions announce the Innovation of the Year Awards competition internally. It is recommended that each member college or district* create a committee to establish local eligibility criteria and selection protocol. Applications should be encouraged from all areas of the college: full- and part-time instructors, student services staff, administrators, and support personnel. (While we recognize that industry partners, community representatives, and students may be involved in college efforts, these awards are strictly for college employees.)
The designated Innovation of the Year Award contact at each institution is responsible for administering this award and submitting a winning innovation online; district-based contacts may also email finalist information as indicated below.
- Winning Innovations: After choosing a winning innovation, each member college or district award contact submits the selection via the online portal. One winning innovation will be accepted from each college/district.
- Local Finalists: Districts or systems with multiple colleges or campuses are also encouraged to email information about college-based finalists for the district award to Kelly Dooling, subject line "IOY Award Finalists." (College-based finalists for district awards are included on the League’s website and invited to submit manuscripts to League publications.)
