Alliance for Educational Excellence Award

Over 20 years ago, Phi Theta Kappa partnered with Phi Beta Kappa and the National Honor Society to introduce the Alliance for Educational Excellence Award. This award is not given every year. It is reserved for times when an organization or individual has provided extraordinary leadership on a national or international level in the field of education.

Woodward Hines Education Foundation

Jackson, Mississippi

The 2022 recipient is the Woodward Hines Education Foundation (WHEF). WHEF is the largest non-profit in Mississippi. Its mission is to help more Mississippians obtain post- secondary credentials, college certificates, and degrees that lead to meaningful employment. It also provides grants to non-profits and educational institutions, and it operates three “Get-2-College” centers throughout the state focused on providing free college counseling to any person in Mississippi who requests it.

WHEF hosts workshops and training to help students and their families complete the FAFSA, and these efforts have helped propel Mississippi to rank fourth in the nation for FAFSA completion.

Phi Theta Kappa’s relationship with WHEF began in 2016, when it funded the first-ever statewide program to pay the cost of PTK membership for 750 low-income students from Mississippi chapters. Since that time, WHEF has committed to help all students in Mississippi who are eligible but cannot afford to join.
Kierstan Dufour, the Assistant Director and Project Manager at Get2College, accepts the Alliance for Educational Excellence Award on behalf of Woodward Hines Education Foundation during PTK Catalyst 2022 in Denver, Colorado. Also pictured, Phi Theta Kappa’s Chief Opportunity Officer Dr. Nancy Sanchez, Chief of Staff and PTK Foundation Executive Director Dr. Monica Marlowe, and 2021-22 International Vice President – Division I Bri Barone.