Education Secretary Arne Duncan will join educator and Second Lady Dr. Jill Biden, Education Under Secretary Martha Kanter, Labor Department Assistant Secretary Janet Oates, and several leaders in education and philanthropy to kick off The Aspen Institute's national competition to reward some of the country's top community colleges at 12:45 p.m. on Monday, April 25. The event will be held from noon to 2 p.m. at the Newseum in Washington, D.C.
Monday's event will begin an eight-month process that will lead to the selection of the first Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, a $1 million award that will celebrate institutions that deliver exceptional student results. The prize was announced at the White House Summit on Community Colleges, which was chaired by President Obama and Dr. Biden last October. Institutional excellence is particularly critical for economic growth and opportunity, given that 6 million students – nearly half of all who are enrolled in postsecondary education – attend community colleges.
Note to editors: Media need to RSVP with Rachel Roth, 202-736-2924 or [email protected], to attend the event.