Annual First-Generation College Celebration
2026 events:
November 9-13, 2026
Check out all the events here.
Five days of community, connection, empowerment, and celebration.
Join us as we recognize the experiences, achievements, and contributions of Cornell's first-generation community.
Celebrate First-Gen Week at Cornell with opportunities to connect, build community, and recognizetheimpact of first-generation students, faculty, and staff. Enjoy free food and First-Gen swag, meet theFGLIStudent Support team, and join faculty, staff, and fellow students for meaningful conversationsaboutnavigating the unwritten rules of higher education. Close out the week by celebrating theachievements andcontributions of Cornell’s first-gen community!
What is First-Generation College Celebration?
An annual opportunity to raise awareness of the first-generation college student identity by advancing an asset-based, national narrative of these students’ experiences and outcomes.
Since the Council for Opportunity in Education (COE) and FirstGen Forward (FGF, formerly the Center for First-generation Student Success) hosted the inaugural celebration in 2017, hundreds of higher education institutions, corporations, government officials, non-profits, and K-12 schools have joined together in recognizing the achievements of the first-gen community on and around November 8.
Why Celebrate on November 8?
FGCC is celebrated annually on November 8 to commemorate the signing of the Higher Education Act (“HEA”) of 1965 by then-President Lyndon B. Johnson. This act created federal financial aid programs to fund students’ educations and made key investments in colleges and universities. Many of the HEA’s programs, particularly the Federal TRIO programs, promote postsecondary access, retention, and completion for today’s limited-income, first-generation college students.
Past events:
2025: Trailblazers Resource Fair: Cornell First-Gen College Celebration Day
Check out the recap on Instagram here!
2024: Trailblazers Conference
Check out the recap on Instagram here!
2023: First Generation Celebration Week
Check out the recap on Instagram here!