On June 21, Townsend Harris was among twenty schools to receive the 21st Century Schools of Distinction Award, a national award program created by Intel Corporation, Scholastic Inc., and the Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence Foundation, to recognize the finest public and private K–12 schools in the United States. Winners were selected, from over 1,200 applicants, based on their implementation of innovative and replicable programs that support positive educational outcomes. Townsend Harris, in particular, was selected for its community service programs.  School principal Thomas Cunningham and founding faculty member Wanda Nix accepted the award at a ceremony in New Orleans.