Investing locally in resources like transportation and safe housing is crucial for health, yet over one in five rural residents struggles with these needs. In West Marion, North Carolina, gaps in transportation, food distribution and health care were prevalent.
Midway through the two-year initiative, 4-year-olds placed in model classrooms across the county in 2023-24 dramatically increased their literacy and math skills from the beginning to the end of the year and showed gains in their social and emotional development, according to a report from Pre-K Priority, a coalition of more than 80 pre-K leaders and advocates that formed in 2014 to eliminate educational disparities among children entering kindergarten.
With state legislators still working on a long-term funding agreement to stabilize North Carolina’s child care landscape, The Pre-K Priority is demonstrating that investments in pre-K educators and classrooms can have a major impact on kindergarten readiness and teacher retention.
Joe Crocker is a WCU alum with a degree in business administration. He retired in 2019 and was appointed to the BOT in 2021. Crocker previously worked as the director of Local Impact in Forsyth County at the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust. He is well known for his civic career across the Carolinas.
Children cheered with excitement as they played on the newly built play space near Lumberton Junior High School which was the result of community collaboration and a shared vision for accessible play areas.
North Carolina has a proud legacy as a national leader in early childhood development, thanks to visionary bipartisan programs like Smart Start. But that reputation is at risk. Today, parents across North Carolina’s 100 counties face a critical challenge: finding safe, high-quality, and affordable childcare.
Hispanic Federation (HF), announced the launch of a new Health Hotline (NC Salud) to help the Spanish-speaking community in North Carolina access health care coverage information. As of Monday, June 3rd, this vital service is available to provide accessible, reliable, and culturally sensitive health information and support to Spanish-speaking individuals and families who want to learn more about Medicaid in North Carolina and the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
Stewards work with others to create the conditions that everyone needs to thrive, beginning with those who are struggling and suffering. But what happens when a steward recognizes that to be in deeper, trusting relationships with the people an organization serves, you must acknowledge the role your organization has played in causing harm? If you are Dr. Laura Gerald, president of the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust in North Carolina, you confront it, head on. Because stewardship takes courage.