Florence, SC’s Patrick Riccards named 2023 Excellence in Equity Award winner
December 15, 2023
The American Consortium for Equity in Education has selected 47 education industry companies, products, and leaders as award winners in 25 categories
The Driving Force Institute announced that Patrick Riccards was selected as a winner in the inaugural Excellence in Equity Awards program presented by the American Consortium for Equity in Education. Riccards was named Leader of the Year.
Riccards is a social entrepreneur and the CEO of the Driving Force Institute. DFI is focused on transforming the teaching and learning of American history, and has produced more than 500 education short films teaching more than 45 million users. Patrick and his family live in Florence, SC, with both of his children upperclassmen at West Florence High School.
Honoring the industry contributors — companies, products, leaders, nonprofits and more — whose work supports success and equitable achievement for educators and students, this competitive awards program received nominations from across the U.S. Of the nominees, 88 were selected as finalists and today 47 have been announced as winners.
“American history matters. It ensures the strength of our community and the success of our civil society,” Riccards said. “The Driving Force Institute sought to show today’s learners their history is both interesting and relevant. Our library of more than 500 free short films, as well as our 45 million users, speaks for itself.”
“It is an honor to be named Leader of the Year by ACE-ED and to be in the company of so many inspirational organizations,” Riccards added.
The awards were created to acknowledge, spotlight, and celebrate high-impact work across K-12 education, as well as expand and enhance the discussion around educational equity. After the judges’ review, the winning nominees were identified as those whose exemplary contributions stood out among a strong field.
“To start, I want to thank not only our winners, but each of our nominees and finalists, as well, for their contributions to educational access and equity,” said Ross Romano, strategic advisor to the Consortium and program chair of the Excellence in Equity Awards. “It’s due to these daily efforts that schools, educators, and students are able to succeed. It’s been a thrill to see the growing interest in our awards program — which I believe indicates the growing commitment companies are making to innovative equity initiatives — and I congratulate all our winners for work that was truly exemplary this year.”
Each winner will receive a variety of benefits, including a badge to display on official materials; the opportunity to be featured on EduTalk Radio, the Consortium’s flagship podcast; a spotlight feature in the January special issue of the Access & Equity PreK-12 Journal dedicated to award winners; and an invitation to write for the online journal.
To learn more about the winners in all categories, visitwww.ace-ed.org/awards.
About the Excellence in Equity Awards
The Excellence in Equity Awards program recognizes the companies, nonprofits, leaders, and educators whose work contributes to the critical goal of ensuring access and equity for every learner. Learn more at www.ace-ed.org/awards.
