30th Anniversary Celebration

2010 marks the 30th anniversary of AVID. From one classroom of 32 students to more than 4,500 schools serving approximately 400,000 students, AVID has made the dream of college a reality for countless students.

There have been many milestones along AVID’s history and untold stories of individual determination. As we celebrate 30 years, and look to the next 30, we look back on some of the history that brought us here.

30 Years 30 Facts


1980

  • AVID begins at Clairemont High School in 1980.

1981-1982

  • AVID students visit college campuses and spent the weekend at University of California at San Diego.

1982-1983

  • "Junior AVID" begins at Marston Junior High, a Clairemont High feeder school.

1984-1985

  • C-CAP (Clairemont Cooperative Academic Project) /AVID won the prestigious National Council of Teachers of English Center of Excellence Award.

  • Clairemont High School's standardized test scores school-wide rise almost 50% higher than the rest of the district and other schools begin adopting AVID.

1985-1986

  • AVID Receives: The National Council of Teachers Outstanding Achievement Award, the California State Exemplary Practices Award, the Excel Outstanding Teacher Award for Mary Catherine and the California Mentor Teacher Award.

1986-1987

  • The San Diego County Office of Education receives money from the state legislature to bring Mary Catherine to the County Office to disseminate AVID throughout the county.

  • By fall of 1986, 10 sites are implementing the AVID program in their schools, with 568 students enrolled.

  • The first AVID Coordinators Workshop is held on October 23, 1986.

1987-1988

  • AVID is implemented in 30 sites in five different school districts, with more than 14,000 students enrolled.

  • An AVID Policy Board is formed in Spring of 1988.

1988-1989

  • AVID teachers work with university English professors to develop practice writing prompts in order to help prepare students for the Subject A write-off Contest. AVID teachers and college professors scored the exam, and scholarships were awarded.

1989-1990

  • An AVID evaluation program called "Validation" is put into practice.

  • "Project AVID/Teach" is presented to SDCOE and California Board of Education, to address the need for teachers of color.

1991-1992

  • In the fall of 1991, five elementary schools implement the AVID Program.

  • Mary Catherine Swanson accepts the Dana Award for Pioneering Achievement in EducationOn November 12, 1991, Mary Catherine Swanson accepts the Dana Award for Pioneering Achievement in Education. She is the first and only public school teacher to ever receive the award.

  • The Department of Defense Dependents Schools (DoDDS) works with AVID to begin the implementation of AVID program for schools overseas.

  • Kentucky begins AVID as a response to KERA court ordered reform, the first state outside California to implement AVID.

1992-1993

  • AVID Center is incorporated on June 19, 1992.

1993-1994

  • During the summer of 1993, nearly 90 students participate in the SDSU/AVID Summer Bridge Program.

1995-1995

  • AVID is implemented in a total of 377 schools, 265 in California, 65 in other states, and 47 Defense Department Overseas Dependent Schools.

  • The AVID Alumni Association is founded in the fall of 1994.

1995-1996

  • The San Diego Padres join a collaboration with AVID to make the largest scholarship program in San Diego.

  • The first annual AVID Senior Recognition ceremony is held, and awards more than $1,500 in scholarships.

1996-1997

  • The Annenberg Foundation makes an $83,000 contribution for the expansion of the AVID program in the Southeastern region of the country and to revise the high school and middle school curriculum.

1997-1998

  • A press release announces President Clinton's citing the AVID program as a model for preparing low-income students for college, allotting $140 million for the program.

1998-1999

  • AVID and College Board join in collaboration to help high achieving underrepresented students who are not prepared for advanced placement classes.

1999-2000

  • Jay Mathews, education writer for the Washington Post and author of Newsweek's Best High Schools, points to AVID as a solution for supporting students in a rigorous curriculum.

2000-2001

  • Jonathan Freedman's book on AVID, Wall of Fame, is published and released.

  • Mary Catherine Swanson receives the McGraw Prize in Education, the highest education award in the U.S.

  • 60 Minutes II airs a segment about the AVID program.

2001-2002

  • In Fall 2001, Grossmont College offers a new course, "Collegiate AVID," a one-unit, credit/no credit course for former AVID students planning to transfer to a four-year college or university.

2003

  • The Michael and Susan Dell Foundation support the implementation of AVID in Texas. The foundation provides grant funds to deepen AVID in Texas and to establish AVID's Central Division.

  • The U.S. Department of Education funds a three-year collaboration between AVID Center and The College Board to support the development of the AVID-AP Program, materials, and professional development services.

2004

  • The Michael and Susan Dell Foundation award a total of $1.8 million in multi-year scholarships to almost 100 AVID students.

2005

  • AVID celebrates its 25th anniversary, and unveils an new commemorative book featuring AVID students and teachers, entitled
    25 Years, 25 Stories.

2006

  • Founder and CEO Mary Catherine Swanson retires after 40 years in education.

2007

  • AVID Center officially launches AVID Elementary. AVID Elementary represents AVID Center's newest initiative to support and assist existing AVID certified districts with moving AVID Districtwide.

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