Held each year on November 8th to commemorate the anniversary of the Higher Education Act of 1965, the National First-Generation College Celebration encourages colleges and universities across the country to celebrate the successes of the institution's first-generation students.

Historical Context: Why November 8?

In November 2017, the Council for Opportunity in Education (COE) partnered with the Center for First-Generation Student Success, which is an initiative of NASPA and the Suder Foundation, to launch the inaugural First-Generation College Celebration. The now annual event, which is held each year on November 8th to commemorate the anniversary of the Higher Education Act of 1965, encourages colleges and universities across the country to celebrate the successes of the institution's first-generation faculty, staff, and students.

The University of Iowa began participating in the event in 2018, but chose to mark the occasion with a full week of activities, and has done so ever since. Each year, during the first week of November, dozens of events are organized by departments and colleges from across the university. Some events are targeted towards specific populations, such as first-generation students in a specific college, while others are open to the entire campus community. The week typically closes with the university's annual 1stGen@Iowa Awards and Recognition ceremony, which was first held in 2019.