Professor Francis and Ms. Guine were selected to receive the honor because of their respective dedication to two key initiatives.

Professor Francis leads the annual Student Life Skills (SLS) conference with the purpose of inspiring and engaging college and high school students enrolled in FSCJ’s SLS courses. Launched in 2013, the annual two-day conference showcases motivational speakers and alumni success stories, informs students of valuable College resources and shares best practices in psychological educational methods and techniques. On average, 300 students attend each year and gain useful skills and tools to help them achieve their goals.

Ms. Guine directed a Youth Research for Action high school dual enrollment project titled “Stress Among Dual Enrollment Students: Thriving or Surviving?” Funded by a grant from the What Kids Can Do Foundation, a core group of students conducted focus groups and surveys to examine the stress level of 400 high school dual enrollment participants and measure its impact. At project completion, the student researchers compiled their results into a paper and a compelling video which highlighted their findings.

The top five causes of stress reported by participants were workload, family expectations, uncertainty of the future, demands of balancing extracurricular activities and application deadlines. Most students reported that the key to managing their stress is finding a strong support system in family, friends and mentors. Following a dual enrollment alumni focus group, student researchers concluded it is worth the time commitment and associated stress to become better prepared for the future through the dual enrollment program.

The League for Innovation established the Innovation of the Year awards program over 30 years ago as a way to recognize significant innovations that help improve the ability of institutions to serve students and the community.