Certificate of Recognition from United Nations International Year for the Culture of Peace, Presented October 27, 2000 to WOO Founder Steve Orel and the Birmingham Human Rights Project

National Adult Education Honor Society - having met all standards and requirements of the NAEHS a member charter is granted, Presented July 3, 2001 to WOO by NAEHS.

“Unsung Hero” Certificate of Recognition from the WOO 2001 graduating students was  presented June 23, 2001 to Steve Orel and the BAC World of Opportunity.

John Dewey Award - for extraordinary contributions to the education of young people in America from (VSSE) Vermont Society for the Study of Education, Presented December 6, 2003 to Steve Orel

The Courage in Education Award- for extraordinary professional, civic, and political courage in exposing and resisting the harms of high stakes testing and exemplary commitment to social justice, was presented to the WOO on March 15, 2003, by Susan Ohanian.

“Southern Hero” Award from Southern Linc Wireless, presented by Councilperson Valerie Abbott and Southern Linc Wireless representative to Steve Orel and the WOO at the Birmingham City Council meeting in 2006.

Neighborhoods USA (NUSA)  2006 - Finalist - Neighborhood of the Year for building Multi-Neighborhoods  Partnerships presented to World of Opportunity, Birmingham, Alabama, at the 2006 Homecoming Kansas City, Missouri 31^st Annual Conference on Neighborhood Concerns Connecting Hearts, Homes & Communities.

2006 Library Champion Award - for providing more that 200 students with library cards was presented by the Jefferson County Public Library Association, to the World of Opportunity.

WOO was recognized as one of the 25 models of the best, most cost-effective, community-based small schools in the entire country by the Knowledge Works Foundation, Concordia and Architects of Achievement.  WOO is profiled in their report, Dollars & Sense II, which was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.  For more information, see: www.goodsmallschools.org.

The Literacy Council presented the WOO with awards in all four literacy categories for the years 2003 through 2006.

“Partners for a Literate Community Award,” and  “Tutor of the Year Award” was presented posthumously to Steve Orel, as Director of The World of Opportunity, by The Literacy Council in August, 2007.

2007 Live the Dream Award presented by the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce to Steve Orel, Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.

The Birmingham City Council awarded Steve Orel The Most Distinguished Citizen award for his work at the WOO.  They will place a bronze plaque of his face on the 2^nd floor hall of City Hall building within the next few months.