At Cornatzer Elementary’s Kinder Camp, sixteen rising kindergarteners squeal with excitement as they pass a ball around in a circle. Little do they know that amidst the fun, they are also honing essential motor skills, learning to follow directions, and adapting to the kindergarten environment. Principal Raymonda Shelton describes Kinder Camp as a sneak peek […]
By Jeanna Baxter White Allen Mebane believed that “All people learn on a different timeline. But if you create the right tool, everyone can learn at their own pace, and after a period of time, end up at the same destination.” That conviction would guide his career and future philanthropic ventures. In 1969, while CEO […]
By Jeanna Baxter White In 1998, businessman and philanthropist Allen Mebane established the Mebane Foundation to support innovative educational endeavors. Since its inception, the Foundation has served as a catalyst by granting more than $25 million to educational program partners across the state while simultaneously leveraging that amount in public-private partnerships. The result? More than […]
By Jeanna Baxter White The investment of up to $23 million will support PreK-5 literacy education through the Mebane Early Literacy Center The Mebane Foundation has selected UNC Charlotte’s Cato College of Education, a leader in literacy instruction and research, to help continue its legacy of supporting innovation in literacy education in North Carolina and […]
In 2017, The Mebane Charitable Foundation and Davie County Schools embarked on a five-year initiative to “move the needle” in early childhood education. Supported by almost $2.5 million from the Foundation, DavieLEADS (Literacy Empowers All in Davie to Succeed) was designed to improve kindergarten readiness to 90% and increase reading proficiency in 3rd grade to […]
Mebane Foundation Founder, Allen Mebane, believed that to achieve our nation’s greatest potential, it must ensure its young people receive a top-tier education. Knowing that teacher quality is one of the most important school-related factors influencing student achievement, the Foundation cultivates partnerships with leading colleges of education to fund transformative training opportunities for both in-service […]
Jon Baldwin’s 15-year relationship with Brookstone Schools in Charlotte, NC, has come full circle. A former student turned school counselor, he is passionate about giving back to the school that gave him so much. “There is a lot about this position that makes it beautiful,” said Baldwin, who joined the staff as the social-emotional learning […]
Davie County Schools was one of only three districts selected to a panel for Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) training in NC. The Office of Early Learning (NCDPI) and three school districts came together virtually to present experiences with LETRS. Other districts on the panel included Columbus County and Union County. […]
The Mebane Foundation was honored to be recognized at the Davie County Board of Education meeting on March 1st for its role in supporting early childhood education in Davie County, as DavieLEADS (Literacy Empowers All in Davie to Succeed) comes to an end. The early learning and literacy initiative was funded by a five-year, $2.5 […]
When the pandemic struck in March 2020, and in-person learning came to a screeching halt, Hill Learning Center in Durham rose to the challenge and, in only three weeks, developed and released a version of its Hill Reading Achievement Program (HillRAP) that could be delivered remotely as long as the teacher and students had iPads […]
By Jeanna Baxter White Studies show that reading skills are the foundation of all education. Success in school, the workplace, and life is dramatically enhanced for children who can read at or above grade level by the end of the 3rd grade. Given the projected learning loss experienced by many students due to school closures, […]
By Jeanna Baxter White Did you know that while students of color make up about half of the traditional North Carolina public school student body, 80% of teachers are white? Moreover, between 2000-2014 (the latest year for which data is available), the state saw an enrollment increase of 306.7% among Hispanic students. The mandate is […]
By Jeanna Baxter White Summer is an opportune time to offer children programs that provide academic support, enrichment opportunities, and social and emotional growth. Given the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the past two school years, this summer’s added support was more important than ever. At Niner University Elementary (NUE) in West Charlotte, […]
Despite a challenging 2020-2021 school year due to complications around COVID-19, Davie County preschools continue to help children get a strong start towards kindergarten readiness. One beneficial tool that preschool teachers continued to utilize was Cognitive ToyBox, a game-based assessment platform. Davie County Schools (DCS) has now used Cognitive ToyBox for four years to help […]
Three tables of kindergarteners are busily working away. Four children construct bridges for the Three Billy Goats Gruff, others are building houses for The Three Little Pigs, and the third group uses manipulatives to sequence Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? “The foundation of literacy is understanding the relationship between words and their […]