What is AVID?

AVID Center

AVID Center is a global nonprofit organization dedicated to closing the achievement gap by preparing ALL students for college and other post-secondary opportunities. AVID Center was founded to support and oversee the AVID System first created by Mary Catherine Swanson in 1980. Established more than 30 years ago with one teacher in one classroom, AVID today impacts more than 800,000 students in 44 states and 16 other countries/territories.

AVID’s founder believed that if students were willing to work hard, she could teach them the skills needed to successfully complete the rigorous courses that would prepare them for four-year universities. She required students to take ownership of their own learning and futures, hence the acronym Advancement Via Individual Determination.