Congratulations to the Spring 2022 Grant Recipients for the Land of Sky’s P20 “A.I.M.” Opportunity!
Updated December 27, 2023: Watch our video about the outcomes from these grant-funded projects.
In February 2022, the P20 Council announced an exciting opportunity for the region’s organizations that are invested in increasing educational attainment. Organizations across the four counties in Land of Sky were invited to submit an application to demonstrate their commitment to the P20 Council’s four strategic directions and to receive $12,500 for the execution of their proposal. These “Action for Implementation Measures” for Educational Attainment (AIM) were made possible through the generosity of the John M. Belk Endowment, which is committed to empowering today’s workforce by creating pathways to and through postsecondary education for underrepresented students.
25 organizations applied and the Steering Committee members scored their proposals using a standardized rubric, with a emphasis on the proposal’s alignment to the P20 Council’s strategic goals and the proposal’s commitment to serve historically under-represented populations in the region. The four highest scores received awards, and this is a summary of their commitment in using these funds effectively as we collaborate on closing the Land of Sky’s postsecondary credential gap.
Emily Nicholson, Executive Director for the Land of Sky P20 Council, presents Donna Lanahan, Principal at Buncombe County Middle College, with a giant check representing the AIM Grant from P20 to Buncombe County Schools
Cynthia Peedin, Education Manager at Muddy Sneakers, standing next to Emily Nicholson, Executive Director for the Land of Sky P20 Council, and holding a check for the AIM Grant P20 awarded to Muddy Sneakers
P20 Council’s A.I.M. for Educational Attainment: Grant Recipients
| Recipient | County | Concept | Impact |
| Smart Start Partnership for Children | Henderson | Scholarships Emergency Fund | Provide childcare while caregivers search for employment, which helps to increase and strengthen the workforce in the region. This funding will provide early childhood education to children whose caregivers could not access this resource if they were searching for a job while the child is at home |
| Muddy Sneakers | Madison, Transylvania | Closing the Science Literacy Gap through Outdoor Education and Instructional Support | By providing access to outdoor education for fifth-grade public school students, Muddy Sneakers will assist educators with tools and resources to aid in the instruction of NC Essential Science Standards through a variety of enrichment measures. |
| Literacy Together | Buncombe | Igniting Superhero Readers | Offering paid internships for young adults of color, primarily rising high school juniors and seniors, who will be trained and supported to work as tutors for intensive reading instruction for children in Grades K to 5. Tutors will receive an initial intensive training in an established multi-sensory approach to teaching reading, and the students will be pre- and post-tested to measure their progress. |
| Buncombe County Schools | Buncombe | Re-Imagine Buncombe Middle College | The involves the design of an innovative, career-driven, community-minded school that supports any student to develop the necessary skills and experiences to thrive in a career pathway that leads to employment with a local industry. To alter this current model into a true Career Academy model, Buncombe Middle College will re-brand and recruit students and industries to form a partnership with the school district in this innovative design. |
