October 13, 2026

We have some wonderful news to share: the College Lift mini doc just won Gold at the W3 Awards!

A huge congratulations to Seth Wingate and the entire Turnstone team! The W3 Awards honor excellence in digital work, including video, and are judged by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts, an invitation-only group of industry professionals. Gold is a real distinction, and it belongs to the people who made this film.

But as proud as we are of the film, the reason it exists is bigger than any award. Here’s the story behind it.

What is College Lift?

College Lift is a seven-year program at Forsyth Tech that follows students from sixth grade all the way through high school graduation. It was launched in 2017 for first-generation and low-income students in Title I schools in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County, young people who would likely be the first in their families to go to college.

The idea is simple and ambitious: don’t wait until senior year to talk about college. Start in middle school, surround students and their families with support, and make college feel like an expectation rather than a long shot.

What the program looks like

College Lift asks a lot, and gives a lot back.

  • Saturday Academy. Students commit to 21 Saturdays a year of additional instruction at Forsyth Tech, covering core subjects along with public speaking, creative writing and college readiness.
  • Families are part of it. Parents and caregivers commit to 15 Saturdays a year of their own programming, because students do better when the whole family is in the journey.
  • Wraparound support. Counseling and social-emotional support, summer enrichment and community partnerships all work alongside the academics.
  • A real payoff. Students who complete the program and graduate high school are offered tuition-free college at partner institutions, including Forsyth Tech, Salem College, UNCG and Carolina University.

The model is inspired by the University of Southern California’s Neighborhood Academic Initiative, a program with a very high college matriculation rate for nearly three decades.

The results so far

College Lift began at a single middle school and now serves four, with more than 300 students in partnership with Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools.

The first graduating class, in 2024, had 11 scholars. The second, in 2025, had 17. Every member of that first class enrolled in college, and across both classes the few who chose a different path went into the military. Most of these graduates are the first in their families to pursue a college degree.

The program’s impact has been recognized nationally, too. In February 2025, College Lift won the Bellwether Award for Instructional Programs and Services, often called the Heisman of community colleges, and Forsyth Tech was the only North Carolina community college to take home a Bellwether that year.

As one scholar, Alexandra Sagastume Alcantara, told the Bellwether judges: College Lift has changed my life.

Why a mini doc matters

Numbers tell part of the story. Faces and voices tell the rest. A film can show what a Saturday Academy feels like, what it means for a parent to sit in a classroom alongside their child, and what it looks like when a student starts to believe college is meant for them. That’s what great storytelling does, and it’s why recognition for this film is also recognition for the students and families at its center.

Thank you to the scholars and families who trust us with their time and their stories, to the Forsyth Tech staff and teachers who show up every Saturday, to our partners in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools and our scholarship partners, and to supporters like Truliant Federal Credit Union who help make this work possible.

Join us

Watching the film is one way to help College Lift reach more families, so please share it. To learn more about the program, or to apply, visit collegelift.forsythtech.edu.

Congratulations again to Seth and the Turnstone team. Gold looks great on you.