Although you will never see this organization up on the silver screen, the Ohio Appalachian Center for Higher Education has been nominated for an "Oscar."

As one of 15 finalists for the Innovations in American Government Award through Harvard University - often referred to as "the Oscars" of government award programs - OACHE will receive a $10,000 grant and have an opportunity to take home $100,000.

OACHE is a partnership between 10 colleges and universities in Appalachian Ohio that works to make higher education available to everyone.

Wayne F. White, OACHE executive director, said it is truly an honor to be a finalist for such a prestigious award and made comparisons to the final days before the coveted Hollywood awards are presented.

"It really is sort of like the Oscars," he said jokingly. "It is coming down to the big dance now."

The finalists will deliver a presentation at the National Press Club in Washington D. C. May 7.

The National Selection Committee will select the top five programs and each will receive a $100,000 grant to be used towards creating similar programs, White said.

"The goal of everything we do is to remove the barriers to higher education," he said. "I believe one of the factors in why we were selected out of the 1,000 is because the OACHE structure has been replicated in other states. It had to be successful in Ohio before other states were interested. "

OACHE has inspired similar partnerships in Kentucky, Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi and West Virginia, White said.

Sarita A. Gattuso is the executive director of the West Virginia Access Center for Higher Education and will accompany White to Washington. She said it is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and that the partnership is truly deserving.

"OACHE has been instrumental in giving students hope and showing all students that it is possible to succeed," she said. "A lot of students feel like they are not college material, that it is for someone else."

OACHE

was created in 1993 by the Ohio General Assembly after Bob Evans, famous restaurant owner and former-member of the Ohio Board of Regents, completed a study that revealed that the primary barriers to higher education in Appalachia were low self-esteem and the perception that college was not an option, White said.

The partnership awards grants to institutions of higher education and primary and secondary schools for programs, such as GEAR-UP, that promote college attendance with measures such as career planning, financial aid, field trips to businesses and college campuses, guest speakers and more. OACHE also works to promote adult education.

The 10-member institutions of OACHE are Belmont Technical College, Hocking College, Jefferson Community College, Kent State University, Muskingum Area Technical College, Ohio University, Rio Grande Community College/University of Rio Grande, Shawnee State University, Southern State Community College, Washington State Community College.