SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The Bellwether College Consortium has announced the 30 finalists selected to compete for the prestigious Bellwether Award at the 33rd Annual Community College Futures Assembly (CCFA). This nationally recognized award honors outstanding and innovative programs in U.S. community colleges across three categories.
The Bellwether Award honors excellence in three categories:
- Instructional Programs and Services – recognizing programs and services that foster student success and teaching innovation.
- Workforce Development – highlighting strategic alliances between community colleges
and workforce partners that address regional labor market needs.
- Planning, Governance, and Finance – celebrating innovative approaches in college planning, management, and resource optimization.
“We had a strong showing of 89 submissions from 78 community colleges across 29 states that were in contention for being selected as a top ten Bellwether finalist in one of the three award categories,” said Rose Martinez, Ph.D., director of the Bellwether College Consortium. “These Bellwether finalists deeply understand the importance of building upon current innovations and structuring evidence-supported programs that provide educational and economic opportunities for every learner coming from every ethnic background and socioeconomic group. Our consortium members drive workplace productivity while maintaining access and affordability for its most vulnerable populations.” The consortium is poised to recognize three top colleges with the Bellwether Award at the 2027 Community College Futures.
A Bellwether Finalist represents a community college program that earned one of the highest scores in the first round of the national competition and has been invited to present in the final round. Finalists were announced on October 29.
Finalists in the Instructional Programs and Services category are:
- Alamance Community College
- Collin College
- Colorado Northwestern Community College
- Community College of Baltimore County
- Delgado Community College
- Maysville Community and Technical College
- Middlesex Community College
- Moorpark College
- Rio Hondo College
- Southwestern Community College
Finalists in the Workforce Development category are:
- Arkansas Northeastern College
- Central New Mexico Community College
- Glendale Community College
- Golden West College
- Itawamba Community College
- Metropolitan Community College
- Moorpark College
- South Piedmont Community College
- Temple College
- Truckee Meadows Community College
Finalists in the Planning, Governance, and Finance category are:
- Aims Community College
- Bishop State Community College
- Community College of Aurora
- Contra Costa College
- Forsyth Technical Community College
- Haywood Community College
- Jackson State Community College
- Merced College
- Vance-Granville Community College
- Victor Valley College
The Bellwether College Consortium issued a call for nominations in the summer of 2026. Finalists representing 16 states and 29 community colleges were selected to compete from a large pool of submissions. College teams will conduct presentations to a jury of anonymous judges and fellow community college practitioners and CEOs and share how they significantly addressed a critical issue affecting community colleges.
Event co-sponsors include the Association of Community College Trustees, the National Council of Instructional Administrators, the National Council for State Directors of Community Colleges, and the National Association of Community College Entrepreneurship. The national competition will be held February 21 - 23 in San Antonio, Texas. The 2027 Bellwether Award recipients will be named at the event.
The Community College Futures Assembly convenes annually as an independent national forum for innovators to work as a think tank. It identifies successful responses to critical issues facing the future of community colleges and hosts its national award competition annually. Visit the Bellwether College Consortium website for more information, www.bellwethercollegeconsortium.com, or email rmartinez1702@alamo.edu.
About Alamance Community College
Founded in 1958, Alamance Community College (ACC) serves more than 10,000 students annually through curriculum, continuing education, and workforce development programs. Located in Graham, NC, ACC is a cornerstone of education and economic development for Alamance County and the surrounding region. With a focus on innovation, accessibility, and student success, the College prepares graduates to be workforce-ready and empowers learners of all ages to achieve their educational and career goals.