Generation Hope Named Winner in Social Equity Category of Fast Company’s 2024 World Changing Ideas Awards
Inspiring Change: From repurposing cold plasma for seed treatment to 3D-printed living seawalls, this year’s awards celebrate groundbreaking solutions to today’s biggest challenges.
[Washington, D.C.], [May 14, 2024] — Generation Hope’s FamilyU Seal has been named the winner in the Social Equity category of Fast Company’s 2024 World Changing Ideas Awards. This prestigious recognition underscores our dedication to fostering positive social change and building a more equitable future for parenting students in higher education.
Our winning project, the FamilyU Seal, is a national certification awarded to higher education institutions and nonprofits that demonstrate exemplary, measurable efforts in supporting parenting students. Generation Hope has been celebrated for its innovative approach to addressing social inequities and making a significant impact on communities in need.
Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas Awards showcase 50 winners, 127 finalists, and 172 honorable mentions across categories such as health, education, energy, and technology. A panel of Fast Company editors and reporters selected these honorees from over 1,300 entries, acknowledging efforts that span the globe—from Korea to Brazil to Madagascar.
The Spring 2024 issue of Fast Company, hitting newsstands on May 21, 2024, will feature these visionary projects and the creative minds behind them. Among the highlighted innovations are renewable energy solutions, sustainable fashion initiatives, and groundbreaking healthcare advancements.
"We are incredibly honored to be recognized as a winner by Fast Company for our work in advancing equity in higher education and accelerating the success of parenting students nationwide. Raising awareness about student parents is crucial, as they represent 1 in 5 undergraduates in this country . The FamilyU Seal allows us to highlight and celebrate higher education institutions and nonprofits that effectively address the needs of these students. By doing so, we not only address racial disparities in higher education but also improve graduation rates and accelerate economic mobility for families." — Nicole Lynn Lewis, Founder & CEO
Jamie Williams, Director of Learning & Innovation with Generation Hope notes, “Our aim is to shift the postsecondary landscape to be more accessible to and supportive of parenting students. Our approach to doing this is working with institutions and organizations to build capacity and enhance racially equitable, family-friendly policies at all levels to help students thrive. The FamilyU Seal both recognizes institutions and organizations doing student parent supportive work and shows others where they can see these best practices in action."
Fast Company editor-in-chief Brendan Vaughan notes, “I was struck this year by the global sweep of the honorees. It’s endlessly inspiring to see how the world is coming together to devise inventive solutions to our most challenging problems. We need ideas from everywhere, and this year’s World Changing Ideas Awards are an extraordinary encapsulation of the innovation and creativity that is so abundant around the globe.”
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About Generation Hope
Generation Hope’s mission is to ensure all student parents have opportunities to succeed, experience economic mobility, and build wealth. Generation Hope engages education and policy partners to drive systemic change and provides direct support to teen parents in college as well as their children through holistic, two-generation programming.
The application for the 2024 FamilyU Seal is open now. Higher education institutions and nonprofit organizations can apply by July 15, 2024. For more information, visit www.generationhope.org/familyu-seal
About the World Changing Ideas Awards
Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas Awards honor social good and innovative thinking, highlighting projects that have the potential to make a significant impact. Judged on feasibility and potential impact, the awards aim to recognize and elevate ingenuity that can inspire broader solutions to global challenges.
About Fast Company
Fast Company is a leading media brand covering the intersection of business, innovation, and design. Engaging with influential leaders and thinkers, Fast Company is dedicated to shaping the future of business. Based in New York City, Fast Company is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC.
For more information, visit www.fastcompany.com.
For media inquiries please contact: press@generationhope.org