In early 2022, the Land of Sky P20 Council launched an opportunity for community partners, schools, and others. We awarded grants to four organizations, who demonstrated how they could use this small amount of funding to address our region’s educational attainment needs.
Reaching our strategic goals requires planting seeds across the communities of Western North Carolina.
The following grantees were awarded $12,500 each for specific ideas addressing the P20 Council’s goals:
- Literacy Together
- Muddy Sneakers
- Buncombe Early College
- Smart Start Partnership for Children (Henderson County)
What were the results?
Buncombe County Schools / Buncombe Middle College
- 300 students and 3-5 industry partners were impacted by new branding that demographically matches the enrollment percentages of the subgroups found within the opportunity gap of the community.
- Connects to Objective 1 in the Credentials & Workforce section of our Legislative Policy Agenda: Expand and strengthen coordination between K-12 and higher education to promote postsecondary pathways leading to recognized credentials leading to high-demand jobs with sustainable salaries and benefits.
Literacy Together
- 75 students in two after-school programs in Buncombe County received literacy support, and 12 young adults of color were trained as tutor interns.
- Connects to Objective 3 in the K-12 Education section of our Legislative Policy Agenda: Provide school districts with greater policy and legal flexibility to facilitate greater alignment to local and regional needs.
Muddy Sneakers
- 258 students & 12 teachers in Transylvania and Madison Counties benefited from instructional support in science education.
- Connects to Objective 3 in the K-12 Education section of our Legislative Policy Agenda: Provide school districts with greater policy and legal flexibility to facilitate greater alignment to local and regional needs.
Smart Start Partnership for Children
- Parents of 20 children in Henderson County were enabled to look for employment by receiving childcare vouchers to enroll their children in licensed facilities.
- Connects to Objective 1 in the Early Childhood Education section of our Legislative Policy Agenda: Expand access to NC Pre-K to all four-year-olds through support for families and children.
Watch the video below for more details about how each organization used the funds, who benefited from each project, how their initiatives impacted our communities, why each project was important, and how each project connected to the P20 Council’s mission.
