Fox Valley Technical College’s Diversity & Inclusion Services department received the 2016 Ann Lydecker Educational Diversity Award from the Wisconsin State Council on Affirmative Action for its success in academic retention and college completion for students of color.

FVTC is the state’s first two-year college to receive the award. Under the leadership of Rayon Brown, the Diversity & Inclusion team increased retention of multicultural students by 5% above projected target, in addition to seeing a 220% spike in the number of learners served over three years.

The initiative, Scholars for Success, was funded by the Great Lakes Higher Education Guarantee Corporation and focused on enhanced services in the areas of academic advising, development of individual education plans, monthly mentoring sessions, and book vouchers for students who met program milestones, to name a few.