Bay Path University, University of Sioux Falls, and Edgewood College Took Home Top Honors and Grants in Awards Program’s Inaugural Year

Jenzabar, Inc., a leading technology innovator in higher education, today announced the winners of its inaugural Jenzabar Impact Awards, an initiative pledged to provide grants to institutions with individuals, departments, or programs that have gone above and beyond in making an impact on their students and/or communities. The 2024 Jenzabar Impact Awards will distribute $35,000 USD to the top three winning institutions and their programs: Bay Path University in Massachusetts, University of Sioux Falls in South Dakota, and Edgewood College in Wisconsin.

The winner of the 2024 Jenzabar Impact Awards is Bay Path University’s growing Wildcat Pantry program, which will receive $20,000 in support. Tanya Coles-Daily, the university’s Assistant Director of Health and Wellness, started the program after confidential sessions with students who indicated persistent struggles to pay for basic necessities and obtain healthy, nutritious food. Beginning as a safe, anonymous way for students to access non-perishable items through a food pantry, the program has since grown to include fresh perishable foods like fruits and vegetables as well as professional clothing and hygiene products. The Wildcat Pantry also organizes quarterly farmers markets and sponsors the university’s “Fresh Check Day,” a campus-wide event dedicated to mental health and self-harm prevention.

Within weeks of kicking off the program, Tanya was coordinating donations of personal care products and non-perishable food from alumni, organizing student volunteers to staff the pantry, and developing informational sessions around healthy eating and exercise. Thanks to a partnership that Tanya initiated with the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, the Wildcat Pantry is now a designated food distribution center for locally sourced food. This partnership has also brought local chefs to campus to hold cooking demonstrations and educational sessions about reading nutritional labels on pantry items.

University of Sioux Fall’s Basic Needs Program won second place in the 2024 Jenzabar Impact Awards and will receive $10,000 of financial support. The Basic Needs Program is a way for the university to address concerns such as food insecurity, housing instability, and transportation challenges throughout the community. The program includes several distinct initiatives, including the Cougar Cupboard Food Pantry, which provides students with anonymous access to nutritious food items; the Aunt Flow Program, which ensures access to feminine hygiene products without additional costs; the Bike Share Program, which provides students with access to bicycles for commuting to campus; the Community Garden initiative, which encourages sustainable living and provides students with hands-on learning about gardening; Cooper’s Career Closet, which offers professional attire for students who may not have access to suitable clothing for interviews, internships, and more; Emergency Student Housing services, which provide safe accommodations during times of crisis; Financial Literacy Training, which empowers individuals to learn about personal finances and make more informed financial decisions; and the Sioux Area Metro Free Bus Ridership program, which partners with Sioux Area Metro to provide students with free bus passes for commuting.

Edgewood College’s Cutting Edge Program won third place in the 2024 Jenzabar Impact Awards and will receive $5,000 in funding. The Cutting Edge Program piloted in 2008, becoming the first inclusive higher education program in Wisconsin that offered a fully integrated higher education experience for adult learners with intellectual challenges and other developmental disabilities like Down syndrome, autism, traumatic brain injuries, and cerebral palsy. Since then, the program has continued to grow and now also offers pre-college and alumni programming. The goal of the college program is to offer participants student-centered, individualized advising and peer mentorship with graduate and undergraduate students, while offering the full college experience to help individuals develop the skills and self-determination necessary to thrive.

“Equity, accessibility, support, and mental health are pivotal tenets of growth and success, and we are honored to support the monumental efforts that many of our client institutions are tackling to make an impact on their students and their communities,” said Bob Maginn, CEO at Jenzabar. “All of the submissions to the inaugural Jenzabar Impact Awards demonstrate the passion that fuels higher education. We are so excited about this program and we look forward to continuing to support institutions that promote mental, physical, and emotional health for their communities.”

About Jenzabar

Created out of a passion for education and a vision for technology, Jenzabar offers disruptive, innovative software solutions and services that empower students’ success and help higher education institutions meet the demands of the modern student. Over 1,350 higher educational campuses harness Jenzabar solutions for improved performance across campus and a more personalized and connected experience for the student. For further information, please visit www.jenzabar.com or on Twitter @Jenzabar or on LinkedIn.

Jenzabar Media Contact Gail Scibelli fama PR for Jenzabar jenzabar@famapr.com