A $3 million investment in educators and rural North Carolina’s schools and students

A transformational gift to the UNC School of Education will create a unique fellowship program that will enable a multi-faceted approach to ensure highly e ective educators serve students in rural, high-needs North Carolina communities.

With a $3 million commitment over four years, the Fellows for Inclusive Excellence program will remove barriers and support School of Education students and recent graduates to serve as teachers and school counselors in Title 1 schools, starting in Chatham and Person Counties and in Carolina Community Academy. The program will also provide engaging professional development for assistant principals in those schools who will build a robust, integrated experience for students, interns, and beginning educators. Ultimately, the program aims to create high-quality professional learning communities that provide K-12 students with enhanced opportunities to succeed and thrive.

“The evidence clearly shows that one of the School’s greatest strengths is the preparation of North Carolina’s most e ective educators. This investment enables us to build on this strength and extend our reach and impact to serve students in rural North Carolina communities,” said Fouad Abd-El-Khalick, dean and Alumni Distinguished Professor. “We believe this partnership between higher education, schools, and philanthropy will serve as a model for elevating high-needs schools and providing students with the opportunity to realize their full potential.”

The Fellows for Inclusive Excellence program was made possible by donors who wish to remain anonymous.

The School graduates many of North Carolina’s highly e ective educators. State-wide data had shown having a Carolina-trained teacher resulted in additional months of student learning achieved beyond what is expected on average in a given year. These data showed the largest gains were among students from underrepresented backgrounds and economically disadvantaged schools.

Data from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction show that Carolina-prepared educators overwhelmingly work in urban areas. More than 600 School of Education graduates work in Wake County, 339 in schools in Orange County, and 323 in Durham County. Only 112 work in Chatham County and 20 in Person County.

In 2022-23, the School placed no student teachers or counseling interns in Siler City or Roxboro, despite being 32 and 37 miles away from Chapel Hill, respectively.

In partnership with and with additional commitments from Chatham County Schools and Person County Schools, the Fellows program aims to change that. The program will provide funding to support students in the Master of Arts in Teaching and School Counseling programs as they intern and learn from experienced teachers and counselors. Recent School of Education graduates will have the opportunity to work in those schools and receive professional development. Combined with district funding, those new professionals will receive graduated bonuses over a 3-year period if they continue working in their school.

Concurrently, selected assistant principals from partnering schools will work closely with educational leadership faculty to gain knowledge that best supports learning communities and addresses problems of practice.

“I do not know of another program like the Fellows for Inclusive Excellence,” Abd-El-Khalick said, “one that takes a comprehensive approach, beginning within an educator preparation program and engaging nearly every level of school personnel, to create the highest quality professional learning communities. The best education begins with investment in educators. This program exemplifies that.”