Dear AVID Educators and Leaders,

Before anything else in this letter, before the data, the milestones, and the look ahead, we want to say one thing clearly: Thank you!

What you do matters. Every day, you create the conditions that help ensure students feel seen, supported, challenged, and hopeful about what comes next. In a year that asked a great deal of educators, you continued to show up with care, purpose, and belief. Your commitment is what brings AVID to life.

Photo: RIMS AVID Senior Recognition, held May 6, hosted by San Bernadino County AVID Staff, held at the Toyota Arena in Ontario, CA.

We saw that spirit on full display earlier this month, when thousands of AVID seniors from across Riverside, Inyo, Mono, and San Bernardino counties gathered at Toyota Arena in Ontario, California, for the 30th Annual RIMS AVID Senior Recognition Ceremony. It was a powerful reminder of what this work makes possible: students surrounded by families, educators, and leaders who helped them reach this milestone and who will continue cheering them on as they take their next steps.

This year brought shifting policies, financial pressure, changing technology, and ongoing uncertainty. Through it all, you helped students ask better questions, build confidence, collaborate with others, advocate for themselves, and connect their learning to what comes next. You not only prepared them academically but also helped them develop the habits, skills, and sense of possibility that they will carry into college, career, and life.

AVID exists because opportunity is not automatic. Students need trusted adults, clear expectations, strong relationships, and practical tools to help them navigate increasingly complex pathways. Through your care and commitment, AVID becomes a promise that students will not have to find their way forward alone.

This year reminded us of the scale of that promise. As AVID celebrated 45 years of impact and a legacy now reaching more than 10 million students, the story remained deeply personal: one educator, one student, one relationship, one opportunity at a time.

The Class of 2025 tells that story powerfully. Nationally, 9 out of 10 AVID seniors were college- and career-ready, with 83% taking at least one course of rigor, 88% submitting the FAFSA, and 86% planning to attend a two- or four-year college. Nearly half were preparing to be the first in their families to attend college. Of those who applied to four-year colleges, 95% were accepted, and nearly half received scholarships to support their next steps.

Behind each of those numbers is a student, and behind each student are educators and leaders who believed, guided, encouraged, and opened doors. That same sense of possibility came to life in Colorado, where the 10th AVID Leadership Conference, hosted by the NBA’s Denver Nuggets, brought students together for alumni connections, college and career exploration, financial literacy, and community partnership.

This year also strengthened our understanding of what AVID makes possible. Independent research affirmed meaningful outcomes in AVID Elementary and AVID Excel, including stronger English Language Arts achievement, smoother transitions, accelerated English proficiency, and greater likelihood of reclassification for students with sustained participation. An independent study of AVID Secondary is now underway. And this spring, Rampello K-8 from Hillsborough County Public Schools in Florida became the first elementary school in the nation validated as an AVID National Demonstration School, part of a pilot involving 16 elementary campuses, alongside continued validations and revalidations across the nation.

We also launched the AVID Educator Exchange, a living library of teaching resources built by educators, for educators. It gives you a place to explore strong practices, share what is working, and learn from colleagues across the AVID network. It reflects a sincere belief at the heart of AVID: Some of our greatest wisdom comes from the educators doing this work every day.

Looking ahead to the 2026–27 school year, we know that schools will continue to face complexities, and the need for connection, clarity, and confidence will remain for students. We will keep building pathways together that help more young people see and pursue what is possible.

As summer begins, we hope you are able to pause, rest, and care for yourselves and the people you love. You have given so much this year, and we hope the weeks ahead bring renewal, joy, and time to recharge.

With appreciation,