A generous donation of $500,000 – the organization’s largest single pledge to date – has allowed us to build upon our success in Colorado, Illinois and Georgia and establish our first program for North Carolina students to help maximize their impact on their communities during college and beyond.
“We are truly honored and humbled by the level of support that has enabled us to expand to North Carolina,” said Pete Burridge, President and CEO of Greenhouse Scholars. “Our goal is to help our Scholars in North Carolina become catalysts for lasting change in their families and communities.”
While the region is experiencing tremendous growth, many students in North Carolina still face an uphill climb: one in four children in the state live below the poverty line. Charlotte ranks in the bottom 3% nationally for economic mobility and Durham County ranks in the bottom 6%, according to a 2015 Harvard study. Dozens of community members in North Carolina have already stepped forward to help Greenhouse Scholars through donations, corporate sponsorship and volunteer service.
Greenhouse Scholars’ approach has shown dramatic results. The organization boasts a bachelor’s degree graduation rate of more than 90%, significantly higher than the national average for low-income students. In addition, the more than 220 Scholars the program has served have a lasting impact well beyond their own academic success, mentoring more than 12,000 middle and high school students. The inaugural class of Greenhouse Scholars in North Carolina will be announced in spring of this year. For information on becoming a volunteer or mentor in North Carolina, please email Allison Wallace at awallace@greenhousepartners.org .