EdNC.org: Central Piedmont Community College wants to create opportunity

by Hannah McClellan, EdNC.org

The summer after Tyler Jackson graduated from high school, he took two college courses through Central Piedmont Community College's
Summer Bridge program, meant to help students successfully transition from high school to college.

After one of the orientation sessions Jackson attended, a college staff member dismissed all participants but the "opportunity scholars." Jackson was not an opportunity scholar at the time and he knew little about the program, but he was curious, so he decide to stay behind and learn more. That decision led to Jackson applying for and eventually receiving the scholarship he says changed his life.

"Central Piedmont has opened so many doors," Jackson said in a college promotional video. "They cared more about who I was as a person. Being able to go to school without having to worry about the cost I'm just grateful."

Jackson is one of nearly 400 opportunity scholars Central Piedmont Community College has served since it launched the program in 2017, according to college data last fall. Through the Opportunity Scholarship, students underrepresented in college receive funding to fully cover tuition, books, and fees for two years. In addition, these students receive a notebook computer and access to one-on-one academic coaching for career planning, internships, and job placement.

This support was key for his success, said Jackson, who graduated with an associate of arts degree in December. During the start of the pandemic and remote learning, college staff members kept him from "falling through the cracks."

"It's been a long time coming," he told EdNC. "And my experience has been amazing. I've always felt welcome. Especially being an opportunity scholar, that opened up so many more doors being able to sit in different meetings, visit different places, and being able to have exposure to these things I wouldn't have probably had if I wasn't an opportunity scholar."

The total number of Opportunity Scholarships offered per year varies based on available funding provided by local donors, the college's website says. You can learn more about the scholarship and how to apply here. You can learn about N.C. Community College System (NCCCS) scholarships here.

'What community college can do'

Many community college students some of them adult learners, low income, or first-generation college-goers experience various barriers that can make academic success more difficult. In recent years, North Carolina community colleges have increasingly added support to help their students stay in college

Community college leaders say meeting the financial, transportation, and child care needs of students helps them complete their programs.

About 48% of N.C. Community College students complete a degree or credential in six years, based on 2022 data from myFutureNC. That rate is lower for students ages 21-24 (38%), Black students (30%), and part-time students (20%). 

In comparison, nearly 150 opportunity scholars have graduated from Central Piedmont since 2017. That's a 53% completion rate for cohorts through 2020-21, each before the six-year completion target used by myFutureNC. This success rate is in spite of the fact that many opportunity scholars face more barriers to completion compared to the general community college population. The majority of scholars in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 cohorts can graduate starting this year.

Dr. Kandi Deitemeyer, president at Central Piedmont, said the Opportunity Scholarship is one of many ways the college is working to expand its impact on students, the economy, and the wider community.

Central Piedmont adds $827.7 million to the economy each year, according to a recent economic impact study, and supports 11,274 jobs. For every dollar students invest in their education at Central Piedmont, they gain $3.80 in lifetime earnings.

"The college helps students increase their employability and achieve their individual potential," Deitemeyer said in a release. "Central Piedmont provides students with the education, training, and skills they need to have fulfilling and prosperous careers that provide real economic mobility."

Dr. Deninne Pritchett, the college's chair of psychology, understands that economic mobility well.

Pritchett first started college as a teen mother, at 18. She dropped out of college four times and once from Central Piedmont before returning to successfully graduate from the college in 2010 with an associate degree in art.

"When I arrived at Central Piedmont, there was something different here," she said. "Even the first time when I didn't stay, there was something different, which led me to come back."

Pritchett, who went on to earn a doctorate in psychology, is now the creator of the Adjunct Faculty Learning Community and facilitator for the Diversified Teaching Practices Learning Commons at the college. She also earned an American College and University Educators (ACUE) Advanced Certificate for Teaching Effectiveness and is a featured expert in an ACUE course on learner-centered, equitable teaching practices. 

"It just seems like this is what I'm supposed to be doing, because this is where my foundation was set," Pritchett said. 

Today, in addition to teaching students psychology, Pritchett aims to make them feel welcomed, understood, and empowered. 

She believes that one interaction can change everything, because for her, it did. The last time she enrolled at Central Piedmont, it was a kind financial aid advisor who made her believe in herself.

"I'm a representative of what community college can do for you," Pritchett said. "It's like a full-circle moment that I don't sit high and look low, this is a partnership for me to support students to get wherever they want to get to, whatever that goal is."

For Tyler Jackson, his goal of graduating college expanded to studying abroad while at Central Piedmont and joining student government goals he achieved without stressing about money, thanks to the scholarship program. After graduating with his associate degree debt-free, he feels well-positioned to pursue a bachelor's degree in business and media at UNC Charlotte. In the meantime, he's applied to be a substitute teacher at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, in addition to working at his production company and promoting his film, "LoverBoy The Movie." He's also dreaming about becoming a full-time entertainer acting, filmmaking, and directing or a professor in the arts.

For him, programs like the Opportunity Scholarship are important because they help first-generation and low-income students "seek better" for themselves. Today, he also works as a tutor coordinator at TRIO, Upward Bound the program that initially connected him to Central Piedmont's Summer Bridge program where he aims to be like the mentors he found at Central Piedmont to younger students.

Jackson is grateful for where he is following graduation and is excited for his future and his career. But, what if he decides to pursue something completely different? 

"I can also always come back to Central Piedmont," he said. "It's a place where I've always felt at home."

Republished with permission from https://www.ednc.org/central-piedmont-community-college-wants-to-create-opportunity/.

Posted in Alumni, Announcements, Foundation News, Resources, Scholarships, Students. Tagged as opportunity scholarship.

Central Piedmont Remembers the Life & Legacy of Dale F. Halton

We honor, celebrate and remember the life and legacy of Dale Halton. Central Piedmont Community College celebrates and honors the life of Dale F. Halton, who died yesterday, March 21, 2023 at age 85. Halton was known for being the trailblazing CEO of Charlotte's Pepsi Bottling Company, starting in 1981, at a time when few women held the title.
Halton's life and legacy in our Charlotte community was one she dedicated to elevating others, and she gave philanthropically to many different efforts to support education. She is the namesake of the Halton Theater, a 1,020 seat opera house-styled venue located at Central Piedmont's Central Campus.
Halton believed in making opportunities for the marginalized, and inviting others to the table for sharing opportunities. "I think part of my philosophy is, the more you have, the more responsibility you have to help others, and that's where my giving really comes from," said Halton.

We honor Halton for the legacy she leaves at Central Piedmont and many of Charlotte's educational institutions, and for the countless students who have benefited from her making room at her own table.

Posted in Community, Foundation News. Tagged as donors.

WBTV: Lowe's Foundation hopes to address growing need of tradespeople

The Lowe's Foundation has launched the Gable Grants Program to fund programs for skilled trades. Their partnership with Central Piedmont Community College supports students building careers as skilled tradespeople while also filling a gap in the current local workforce.

Learn more via WBTV's report:
Lowe's Foundation hopes to address growing need of tradespeople

Posted in Community, Foundation News, Students. Tagged as skilled trades, workforce development.

Students Honored as Coca-Cola Academic Team Scholars

Two Central Piedmont Community College students have been named 2023 Coca-Cola Academic Team Scholars, in partnership with Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. Each will receive a scholarship.

Ashton Leswing has been named a Coca-Cola Academic Team Gold Scholar and will receive a $1,500 scholarship. Letrell Grady has been named Coca-Cola Academic Team Bronze Scholar and will receive a $1,000 scholarship.

The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation sponsors the Coca-Cola Academic Team program by recognizing 50 Gold, 50 Silver, and 50 Bronze Scholars across the nation with nearly $200,000 in scholarships annually. Each scholar also receives a commemorative medallion.

"The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation has a long history of providing financial assistance to outstanding students at community colleges," said Jane Hale Hopkins, President of the Coca- Cola Scholars Foundation. "We are proud to partner with Phi Theta Kappa to make it possible for more deserving students to achieve their educational goals and support tomorrow's leaders of the global community."

Students are nominated for the academic team by their college administrators. Selection is based on academic achievement, leadership, and engagement in college and community service, and this year winners were chosen from more than 2,400 applicants.

Coca-Cola Academic Team members will be recognized in both local and statewide ceremonies and will also be recognized internationally during Phi Theta Kappa's annual convention, PTK Catalyst, to be held in Columbus, Ohio, April 20-22.

Posted in Announcements, Foundation News, Scholarships, Students. Tagged as scholarships.

Central Piedmont Archives Opens 'Parrallel Lives' Exhibition

The Central Piedmont Community College Archives department has opened an exhibition of local interest: "Parallel Lives Central High School and Second Ward High School."

The exhibition highlights the centennial history of Charlotte's Central High School and Second Ward High School (both opened in 1923), celebrates the memories of their alumni, and seeks to raise awareness of the importance of historical preservation.

Central High and Second Ward High were built to meet the growing secondary education needs of Charlotte in the early 20th century. The schools were segregated; Second Ward serving Black students and Central High serving white students. With Central High located on Elizabeth Avenue and Second Ward High on Alexander Street, the schools were within walking distance, and yet, their students had separate high school experiences. In 1957, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools began integrating high schools.

One hundred years after building and opening the schools, the Central High facility remains standing as part of Central Piedmont's Central Campus. The gymnasium and a historical plaque are all that remain of Second Ward High.

The "Parallel Lives Central High School and Second Ward High School," exhibition is open to the public through May 8, in the Archives section of the Hagemeyer Library, located in the Parr Center, on Central Campus, with nearby visitor parking available in Lot 5, located at 230 N. Kings Drive.

You may also review an online version of the exhibition.

Posted in Announcements, Campus, Community, Foundation News. Tagged as archives.

Central Piedmont to Establish Honors Program

Through a generous gift from Truist Bank, Central Piedmont Community College will establish an Honors Program, opening with the start of the 2023 fall semester.

The Honors Program will seek to develop excellence in students by providing high quality enrichment experiences that are intellectually challenging and result in deeper learning. The Honors Program will engage students in meaningful academic, personal, and social development experiences to create independent thinkers and life-long learners through the construction of knowledge.

"The Honors Program is an example of how Central Piedmont is committed to elevating student success," said Dr. Deninne Pritchett, Honors Program faculty director. "The Honors Program will create additional opportunities for students who want to attend Central Piedmont while enhancing the experiences of current students. Students in the Honors Program will be challenged and gain transferable skills that add value to the credits or degree earned at Central Piedmont resulting in better marketability."

Students will actively participate in course sections aligned with the Honors Program foundations emphasizing experiential learning, research, civic engagement, global learning, leadership, and reflective thinking. The Honors Program will include a variety of transformational learning experiences for students planning to transfer, earn a degree, or enter the workplace.

Students in the Honors Program will be referred to as Honors Program Scholars. They will be required to complete 15-credit hours in Honors Program course sections, a 30-hour immersive experience, and 10 activities or events including interview and résumé sessions that emphasize the Honors Program foundations.

Students can apply for scholarships that will cover tuition and course materials as well as travel, events, and immersion experiences aligned with at least one of the program foundations. The Honors Program will be open to students from all courses of study offered at the college. The college will provide alternate methods for acceptance into the program outside of GPA requirements to ensure the program is equitable and inclusive.

"Research shows honors program students have increased retention rates, higher graduation rates, and increased pathways to honors programs at four-year institutions," Pritchett added. "As a champion of students and catalyst for opportunity, Central Piedmont continues to be at the forefront of a changing student population and the need to prepare students for the future."

Students and parents who want to learn more about Central Piedmont's new Honors Program can review the program webpage or contact Dr. Deninne Pritchett at honorsprogram@cpcc.edu.

Posted in Announcements, Campus, Foundation News, Scholarships. Tagged as honors program, scholarships.

Central Piedmont to offer teacher licensing certificates

Bachelor degree graduates who are considering a career in the elementary school classroom will soon be able to receive teacher licensing at multiple North Carolina community colleges, including Central Piedmont Community College.

The new program makes teacher licensing more affordable and convenient with classes at local community colleges. The seven institutions approved thus far to offer the new licensing program are Alamance, Blue Ridge, Central Piedmont, Fayetteville Technical, McDowell Technical, Wayne, and Western Piedmont community colleges.

Central Piedmont will launch its program in August, with the beginning of the fall 2023 semester. The Elementary Education Residency Licensure Certificate program will offer instruction and coaching for residency elementary teachers seeking licensure. This program will help support students with classroom observations and one-on-one sessions, and assist with the creation of their portfolio in preparation for licensing from the state.

This new path to elementary licensure will expand Central Piedmont's current teacher preparation track, which prepares students to transfer to a bachelor degree education program through completion of an associate in arts or associate in science degree.

For more information about Central Piedmont's new teacher licensing certificate program, email Jennifer Perkins, chair of the Teacher Preparation Pathway Program.

Posted in Alumni, Announcements, Community, Foundation News, Students.