Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection
Awards and Recognition
Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection (HW-SC) 
began in 1987 and was founded by Wegmans Foods Markets, an industry leader and Fortune Magazine “100 Best Companies to Work For”. The program was a way to address high employee turnover and diversity in Wegmans part-time workforce and to increase high school graduation rates in the community.
- Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Report
— Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection was named one of 23 high-potential programs nationwide in “Success at Every Step: How 23 Programs Support Youth on the Path to College and Beyond,” a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation-funded report from the American Youth Policy Forum.
For the full report click here. - Edna McConnell Clark Foundation
— Recipient of two multimillion-dollar investments to help HW-SC replicate its program and demonstrate its impact in more high-need school districts - Venture Philanthropy Partners
— Recipient of up to $1.95 million investment for program in Prince George’s County, Md., to enable nearly 900 middle and high school students to gain work experience from local employers and the support needed to successfully graduate
- American Business Press Points of Light Award
— In 1991, President George H.W. Bush presented Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection with the American Business Press “Points of Light” award. “Points of Lights are the soul of America,” Bush said. “They are the ordinary people who reach beyond themselves to the lives of those in need, bring hope and opportunity, friendship and care. - PEPNet Award
— In 2003, Hillside Work-Scholarship Connect was recognized by the United States Department of Labor and National Youth Employment Council (NYEC) as a PEPNet (Promising and Effective Practices Network) honoree for demonstrating effectiveness in preparing youth for careers and independent learning. - National Center on Education and the Economy
— After a case study conducted by Harvard University in 1992 and HW-SC was endorsed by the National Center on Education and the Economy. The NCEE is a not-for-profit created in 1988 to analyze the implications of changes in the international economy for American education.
- Social Impact Exchange S&I 100 award
— Nationally recognized Social Impact Exchange has named Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection to its S&I 100, an index of top performing U.S. nonprofits that are poised for growth. The nonprofit index is modeled on Standard & Poor’s stock index, the S&IP 500, listing mature organizations that deliver direct services in four critical areas: education, poverty, youth and health. The index rates nonprofits based on third-party evaluations of their social impact and growth potential