Programs Archives - WakeEd

WCPSS literacy initiative has great potential – Level Up Literacy – and a new partner

WakeEd — Fri, 24 Jan 2025 15:58:05 +0000

Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) is excited to launch a new literacy initiative Level Up Literacy. Level Up Literacy will be supported by local nonprofit partners Read and Feed and WakeEd Partnership for the remainder of the 2024-2025 school year.  

Read and Feed has operated their out-of-school time literacy, food security and book distribution programs across Wake County for nearly 18 years supporting WCPSS elementary school students. They credit their incredible volunteer base and community partners with helping thousands of young students improve literacy skills. Read and Feed’s high impact program and training is aligned with the Science of Reading and focuses on the five components of literacy with a flexible approach that incorporates teacher input and student needs.

As part of Level Up Literacy, Read and Feed will train volunteers and provide their literacy program and resources to support students. Tutors will be provided with ongoing literacy training, coaching and support to meet individual student needs and track progress.

WakeEd Partnership, which has been a key partner since the program’s inception, will continue in its role of recruiting volunteers, community-based organizations and businesses to support Level Up Literacy, as well as focus on the retention and transition of HELPS-trained literacy volunteers to the new program. WakeEd will also continue to work directly with participating WCPSS schools on schedules and placement of volunteers.

Current HELPS 1:1 volunteers will need to attend the Level Up Literacy training. The goal is to have existing volunteers trained and working with their students beginning as soon as the week of February 17 alongside new volunteer recruits.

The Level Up Literacy training for all volunteers is 2 hours and face-to-face training will start in February (February 4, 12, 18). Once new volunteers are background-checked and trained, Level Up Literacy volunteers will work one on one with students 2-3 times each week in 30-minute sessions.

February 4, 2025 10am – noon or 1pm -3pm Crossroads 1, Room 1800
February 12, 2025 10am – noon Crossroads 1, Room 1800
February 18, 2025 4:30pm – 6:30pm Crossroads 1, Room 1800

For more details on Level Up Reading and to sign up for an information session or training, visit: https://www.wakeed.org/levelupliteracy/

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Volunteers Needed to Support WakeTogether Tutoring Program

WakeEd — Tue, 20 Feb 2024 15:30:00 +0000

Wake County Public School System students continue to flourish under a high-dosage tutoring model, but more volunteers are needed to help it continue to be successful.

The program has a goal of expanding to 62 schools and needs a minimum of 150 additional volunteers to meet that goal this semester. Beyond this year, hundreds of volunteers are needed to continue expanding the program for students. Visit the www.wakeed.org/waketogether/ to sign up to participate.

WakeTogether, which began in the fall of 2022, is a tutoring initiative developed to combat the interrupted learning that has taken place due to the pandemic and to support the success of WCPSS students.

The district has partnered with Helping Education, and the YMCA of the Triangle, the City of Raleigh, Communities in Schools, the Daniel Center for Math and Science, the Boys and Girls Club of Wake County, Read and Feed, Wake County Libraries, and WakeEd Partnership to coordinate a coalition of community organizations and volunteers to deliver high-dosage tutoring in reading for more than 1,000 K-12 students.

WakeEd Partnership is spearheading the call for more individuals, the business community, and community-based organizations to be a part of the tutoring program to expand the program to serve more students.

“WakeTogether is a true community collaboration,” said Becky Foote, Senior Administrator of Enrichment and Community Involvement. “We have wonderful community partners that have continued to work with us to find ways to provide evidence-based learning in schools and in selected community organizations to narrow inequities in student success.”

The district is currently working to identify additional schools to implement the program in the second semester of the 2023-24 school year. This is a part of a multi-year plan to recruit and engage volunteers, strengthen existing partnerships, and build new partnerships to strengthen the WakeTogether program.

WakeTogether plans celebrate the success of currently participating schools and bring forward a call to action for volunteers to support schools who will begin implementation in February at a launch event at the Feb. 20 Wake County Board of Education regular session meeting.

Trained volunteers deliver one-to-one training to students during the school day. All tutors are trained to utilize the One-on-One Helping Early Literacy with Practice Strategies (HELPS) program and all students participating in the program will receive tutoring three times per week for 20 minutes. Students receive tutoring during the school day based on individual need.

Students who participated in one-to-one tutoring were more likely to see growth in reading fluency. For example, students in WakeTogether moved from only 12% meeting their reading benchmark, to 38.6%.

Smith Magnet Elementary is one of the schools that implemented the HELPS interventions beginning with the 2022-23 school year. Students were provided small group support from staff, and one-to-one tutoring supported by trained adult volunteers.

In the one-to-one program, nine volunteer tutors served 12 students 4 days a week. After implementing HELPS for an entire school year, 8% of the students met the benchmark in fluency, and 58% were only slightly below the benchmark. 83% of the students met the benchmark in their accuracy rate, while 8% of students made an accelerated growth rate in fluency, and 50% of students made an accelerated growth rate in accuracy.

“The results shown in progress data are encouraging, but what really means a lot to us is the human impact,” said Lindsay Machesky, Literacy Interventionist at Smith Magnet Elementary. “Teachers, instructional assistants, and volunteers alike compliment the ease with which the program is implemented and supported and are proud of the progress students have made.”

The program has been so successful that the national Campaign for Grade-Level Reading (CGLR) recognized WakeTogether with Pacesetter Honors for its 2022-23 work. The theme for Pacesetter Honors this year is “Moving the Needle in Impact Areas.”

“It indeed is time to move the needle in impact areas and these Pacesetter Communities demonstrate how mobilized communities are succeeding,” said Ralph Smith, managing director of CGLR. “Let us all learn and grow from recognizing and understanding what they’ve accomplished. We applaud the civic leaders and local funders whose time, talent, energy and imagination have fueled progress in this Pacesetter Community.”

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WakeEd Celebrates Grand Re-Opening of Tools4Schools

WakeEd — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 15:30:00 +0000

Joined by local elected officials and Wake County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Robert Taylor, WakeEd Partnership today officially opened its new location for Tools4Schools, the nonprofit’s free classroom supply store for Wake County Public School teachers. The new building is 1816 Capital Boulevard in Raleigh on the site of the former Bobby Murray Chevrolet car dealership, just down from the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina.

“After launching Tools4Schools two years ago, we are excited to open a new, long-term space for Tools4Schools and WakeEd Partnership that is more centrally located in Wake County making us even more accessible to teachers,” said Keith Poston, President, WakeEd Partnership. “This move would not have been possible without the support of Wake County Public Schools, the Wake County Board of Education, Wake County Board of Commissioners and our many generous donors and supporters.”

Speakers at today’s event and ribbon-cutting were:

Chris Heagarty, Chair, Wake County Board of Education
Susan Evans, Vice-Chair, Wake County Board of Commissioners
Dr. Robert Taylor, Superintendent, Wake County Public School System
Keith Poston, President, WakeEd Partnership

Wake County Public Schools teachers spend about $916 out-of-pocket on critical school supplies for their students each school year. Thanks to donor and community support, Tools4Schools has given away more than $769,000 in new classroom supplies to Wake County Public School System teachers since it opened in 2022. The demand continues to grow. Last school year, 3,337 teachers shopped at Tools4Schools. From August to December of this school year, 4,678 teachers have already shopped at Tools4Schools.

MAKE A CASH DONATION. All gifts are tax-deductible. Click here to donate using a debit or credit card. Checks can also be mailed to WakeEd Partnership at 1816 Capital Blvd., Raleigh, NC 27604. Please include Tools4Schools on the memo line.

DONATE SCHOOL SUPPLIES. In addition to Tools4Schools annual Community Supply Drive each summer, WakeEd accepts donations of new and gently used classroom supplies year-round to fill the shelves at Tools4Schools. A list of the most popular items requested by teachers can be found here. Donations can be dropped off year-round at Tools4Schools. Please coordinate large deliveries with the WakeEd team at Tools4Schools@wakeed.org.

SHOP TOOLS4SCHOOOLS AMAZON WISH LIST. Shop the Amazon Wishlist to buy items most-requested by teachers and ship to the shelves at Tools4Schools. Click here and select the Tools4Schools address at checkout.

DONATE GENTLY USED OFFICE SUPPLIES. In addition to new supplies, WakeEd Partnership takes donations of gently used items for classrooms from companies, organizations, and individuals. Most requested used items include staplers and tape dispensers.

HOST A SUPPLY DRIVE. If your business or organization is interested in hosting a supply drive, click here to register your Tools4Schools classroom supply drive and click here to download our classroom supply drive kit and start collecting! If you have any questions, email Tools4Schools@wakeed.org. 

VOLUNTEER AT TOOLS4SCHOOLS. WakeEd Partnership is seeking volunteers to help stock shelves, interact with educators, count and inventory supplies, package, and sort supplies. If your family, club, or organization is interested in volunteering, click here to sign up via ActivateGood.

For information about additional giving opportunities, including corporate sponsorships, contact our fundraising team at development@wakeed.org.

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WakeEd Partnership Announces New Career Pathways Program for Wake County Middle School Students

WakeEd — Tue, 21 Feb 2023 15:57:59 +0000

RALEIGH, N.C. — WakeEd Partnership (WakeEd), a business-backed nonprofit organization committed to supporting teachers and students in Wake County, today announced the expansion of its “Accelerate” initiative with a new program for middle school students called Career Exploration. WakeEd’s Accelerate initiative partners area businesses with teachers and students to bring authentic, real-world learning experiences to Wake County classrooms and connect students with employers to explore career pathways.

Career Exploration will provide middle school students in 7th grade with short burst immersive experiences on-site at area businesses to explore career opportunities in a multitude of career fields. This program includes a short immersion with a company, a post-immersion Q&A with company employees, and career guidance from a school Career Development Coordinator. The new Career Exploration program is being delivered in partnership with the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS).

The program will start this month as a pilot at five Wake County middle schools:

Dillard Drive Middle School (Raleigh)
Fuquay Varina Middle School (Fuquay Varina)
Salem Middle School (Apex)
Wake Young Men’s Leadership Academy (Raleigh)
Zebulon Middle School (Zebulon)

“Our students are fortunate to live in such a thriving area when it comes to new jobs and opportunities. And we have seen first-hand through the other programs in our portfolio that students are craving opportunities that will allow them to directly engage with local business leaders,” said Douglas Price, Director of Programs, WakeEd Partnership.

“Likewise, we have heard from the business community their own desires to begin reaching out and connecting with students at a younger age; to help them see the careers and opportunities they offer. We continue to see the impact that this work has on both students and on the business community, helping to align standards in the classroom standards and coursework, with career pathways and opportunities.”

“I want all the new jobs coming here to Wake County to ultimately be filled by Wake County Public School graduates,” said Keith Poston, President, WakeEd Partnership. “That’s why we’ve brought together our new and existing workforce-focused educational initiatives to help Wake County students become more future-ready for any and all career and college opportunities.”

In addition to the new Career Exploration program, WakeEd Partnership’s Accelerate includes:

Career Accelerator: Launched in Summer 2022, Career Accelerator is a workforce development program created to provide high school students in 10th through 12th grade with immersive experiences with local companies exploring targeted career fields. This program will be hosted throughout high schools across Wake County Public Schools during the summer 2023. In addition to immersion experiences, students will receive coaching and instruction in other workforce development areas, such as CV building, social media use, and interviewing skills, as well as achieving micro-credentials for career-specific opportunities.

SummerSTEM: SummerSTEM is a program that enriches educators’ understanding of the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in the workplace using Project-Based Learning (PBL) with an emphasis on STEM businesses and careers. Teachers engage in a week-long professional development, which incorporates business immersions and company engagement opportunities, then creating a curriculum unit throughout the school-year allowing students to engage in career-ready learning, and ending with the capstone community share-out event at STEMposium.

Career Conversations: Career Conversations connects employers and students digitally through a growing online library of video interviews with professionals from a variety of jobs. Together, we are providing additional opportunities for middle and high school students to connect with diverse industries and employers, great leaders, and even potential mentors.

For more information about Accelerate including how your business can get engaged, visit our web site at: https://www.wakeed.org/programs/ or contact Douglas Price, Director of Programs, at dprice@wakeed.org.

About WakeEd Partnership
WakeEd Partnership is an independent, nonprofit organization composed of business and community leaders committed to improving public education. Since 1983, the Partnership has advocated for excellent educational opportunities for all students in the Wake County Public School System. For more information, please visit www.wakeed.org.

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Sheneika Simmons Joins WakeEd Partnership as Manager of Programs

WakeEd — Wed, 06 Jul 2022 19:42:53 +0000

RALEIGH, N.C. — WakeEd Partnership (WakeEd), a business-backed nonprofit organization committed to supporting teachers and students in Wake County Public Schools, announced today that Sheneika Simmons has joined the organization as Manager of Programs. This new position will oversee several programs including Partners Read, Tools4Schools and the Coach Bob Pittard Scholarship Fund.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Sheneika Simmons to WakeEd in this new position at a time when our program offerings are growing and expanding,” said Keith Poston, President, WakeEd Partnership. “Sheneika brings both classroom and program management experience and we’re confident she’ll help us deliver high quality initiatives to support our students, families, teachers and schools as we move past COVID-19 and confront the challenges left behind.”

Simmons joins WakeEd from the Public School Forum of North Carolina’s NC Center for Afterschool Programs (NC CAP) where she helped develop, lead, coordinate, and drive the NC Afterschool Network’s initiatives. While there she supported the design and delivery of various professional development opportunities, advocacy, and the shaping of policy that assisted in the advancement of out-of-school time learning.

Simmons earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Psychology from Ferrum College in Ferrum, VA and a Master’s of Science in Educational Studies from Johns Hopkins University. She is working towards her PhD in Human Service from Walden University.

Simmons is a Teach For America, Eastern North Carolina Corps Member Alumni (2015) and a StartingBloc Raleigh-Durham (2018) Fellow. She is passionate about the future of students in North Carolina and the programs that impact them. As a former educator, she still continues to focus on fostering positive relationships for youth and promoting strategic programming that enhances the whole child.

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Student Registration Now Open for WakeEd Partnership’s “Career Accelerator” Summer 2022 Program

WakeEd — Thu, 21 Apr 2022 14:12:59 +0000

New Career Pathways Program for Wake County Students Seeking Business Partners for Summer and Fall 2022

RALEIGH, N.C. — WakeEd Partnership (WakeEd), a business-backed nonprofit organization committed to supporting teachers and students in Wake County, announced today that registration is now open for all Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) rising 10th – 12th graders who wish to participate this summer in a new workplace immersion program “Career Accelerator”. Career Accelerator, developed in partnership with the Wake County Public School System, will be offered to approximately 1,000 rising 10th –12th grade WCPSS students this summer at no cost to students and families.

The full day, two-week program (July 18-29) will offer real-world workplace learning experiences and connect students with employers to explore career pathways. The goal is to help students better know themselves and how their current high school trajectory is helping them prepare for the workforce and post-secondary careers. WCPSS students can sign up using their WCPSS email here and choosing WakeEd Partnership Career Accelerator: https://forms.gle/RD6GPqCremr1hPTx6.

Companies already committed to support the program for students include Amazon, IBM, Wolfspeed, Deutsche Bank Global Technologies, Triangle ESports Academy, Alfred Williams, Gensler, Marbles Museum, Martin Marietta, TowneBank, UNC-Rex Hospital, John Deere, and a host of others from across the county.

“We are thrilled to offer this new opportunity for students to meet and visit with companies right here in Wake County to learn what jobs exist now, what jobs are coming here and how they can be prepared to fill them,” said Keith Poston, President, WakeEd Partnership. “Career Accelerator will allow students to see first-hand what kinds of jobs and careers are available and most importantly the path to get there.”

Confirmed host sites for Career Accelerator include the following high schools: Enloe, East Wake, Sanderson, Heritage, Fuquay Varina, South Garner, Cary and Panther Creek. We anticipate at least one additional high school site to be added. The program is open to ALL students, not just students from these schools. The regional high school sites will serve as hubs for on-site learning and transport to area companies for immersion experiences.

WakeEd is still seeking business partners of any size and from all industry sectors throughout the Wake to host students for immersion experiences or provide guest speakers and panelists to lead workshops for students focused on career pathways, job education requirements, interview skills, resume/LinkedIn profile building, and more.

If you would like to learn more about how your business can get engaged, visit our website or contact Douglas Price, WakeEd’s Director of Programs, at dprice@wakeed.org.

Program Information for Businesses

Download Press Release

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