Wayne Community College was honored as a Bellwether Award finalist for the fourth time.
The nationally recognized Bellwether Awards honor outstanding and innovative programs in U.S. community colleges. The competition is presented by the Bellwether College Consortium, sponsored by the Alamo Colleges District in San Antonio, Texas.
WCC was recognized for its role in implementing the Southeastern Education and Economic Development (SEED) initiative, a summer pre-apprenticeship program that builds a direct pipeline from high school to college-level training and registered apprenticeships.
SEED offers participants a paid education and career exploration with the chance to gain hands-on experience, tour businesses and industries, and receive college credit through classroom instruction. WCC hosted SEED academies in 2024 and 2025 and will offer the program again this summer.
“National recognition of the SEED program through the Bellwether College Consortium affirms that the innovative work happening at WCC is not only transforming opportunities for our students locally but also serving as a model for workforce development across the country,” said WCC Vice President of Academic and Student Services Kristie Sauls.
“SEED represents what is possible when education and industry align with purpose, creating meaningful pathways, real-world learning, and a stronger talent pipeline for the future,” Sauls said.
The SEED program was recognized as one of 10 finalists in the Planning, Governance, and Finance category. This category celebrates innovative approaches in college planning, management, and resource optimization.
Other award categories include Instructional Programs and Services and Workforce Development. Thirty colleges were named as finalists across all three categories.
Several representatives from WCC traveled to the Community College Futures Assembly in San Antonio to give a formal presentation about SEED. The Bellwether Award winner in each category was announced, and all finalists were presented with trophies.
About the Bellwether College Consortium
The Bellwether College Consortium is comprised of award-winning colleges charged with addressing critical issues facing community colleges through applicable research and the promotion and replication of best practices addressing workforce development, instructional programs and services, and planning governance and finance.
About Wayne Community College
Wayne Community College is a public, learning-centered institution with an open-door admission policy located in Goldsboro, N.C. As it works to develop a highly skilled and competitive workforce, the college serves around 10,000 individuals annually as well as businesses, industry, and community organizations with high quality, affordable, accessible learning opportunities, including more than 150 college credit programs. WCC’s mission is to meet the educational, training, and cultural needs of the communities it serves.