The Renaissance Collaborative, Inc (TRC) Annual Benefit Event and Awards Ceremony pays homage to community leaders who exemplify the mission, vision, and values of TRC while raising funds for TRC. This year's event will be a hybrid in-person and virtual, with the in-person experience happening at the Historic Former Wabash YMCA. We hope and expect that by October, the CDC guidelines and municipal regulations will allow us to host 150 guests. Non-attendees will be able to watch a livestream of the Awards presentation and bid on all silent auction items on a virtual platform.

This year's theme is "A New Us for a New Era." In line with this theme, we are putting an increased focus on environmental sustainability in this event's execution, opting to forgo fresh cut flowers, using reusable plates and cutlery, and finding other ways to reduce waste and energy consumption whenever possible.

This year's Joan Wood Award honoree is Lashawn Jackson, founder and principal of Innovations High School and CEO of the Circle Foundation. Jackson is a modern-day Renaissance man, but his major focus has been working with inner-city youth and with organizations that work in impoverished communities. After taking the helm at the near-shutdown Bronzeville Academic Center and renaming it Innovations High School, student enrollment has increased from 150 to over 400, maintained an over 90% graduation rate, and all students are either accepted in a college or enter into a vocation upon graduation.