Jan 28, 2015 11:18 AM EST By J Baulkman, UniversityHerald Reporter

A nonprofit testing giant began its third annual national Career and College Readiness Campaign this week, Inside Higher Ed reported.

Educators and policymakers in Ohio states teamed up with ACT to honor their leading exemplars of college and career readiness in four categories across the education and workforce continuum: students, high schools, community colleges and employers. The campaign is ACT's largest yet with 34 partner states.

This year's campaign is notable for its more than fourfold increase in partner states, thanks to the leadership of the ACT State Organization Councils in each state. These volunteer councils of education leaders will collaborate with ACT leadership over the next five months to bring attention to the hard work and exceptional achievements of their states' students and leaders across the college and career continuum.

Nominated students in each participating state receive an academic scholarship from ACT.

"We are excited to welcome so many new states, including Ohio, to our campaign this year," Scott Montgomery, ACT vice president for policy, advocacy and government relations, said in a statement.  "Highlighting each state's consistent and successful effort will provide motivation and inspiration to other students, along with education and workplace leaders, to follow in their footsteps in making college and career success a reality for more individuals in their state."

The other 33 participating states are:

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Following events in each of the 34 partner states, national award recipients will be recognized at the ACT National Gala for College and Career Readiness in Washington, D.C., on June 9, 2015. An ACT selection committee will review all state nominations and choose the national semifinalists in early April. A national selection committee comprised of education and workforce development leaders will then select one honoree per category for national recognition at the gala.

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