Business Partnerships:

The Engine That Boosts Educational Success

At Champions of Education, we believe that education lays the foundation for economic prosperity, but in order to make our schools strong enough to meet the demands and challenges of today's global economy, our schools need help from us all. Getting involved in our schools is easy, and it starts with a belief that our children - who represent our future - are a worthy investment of our time, talent and/or treasure for the economic prosperity and well being of our community.

Education Matters
The goal of this business certification program is to leverage the power of partnerships with businesses, government and education for the purpose of increasing the value of education in Catawba County and creating the culture in our community where dropping out is no longer an option. Businesses, education, local government and their partners believe in the strength of an educated workforce. Studies consistently demonstrate that individuals who are better educated are more prepared to withstand economic downturns, increase their earnings potential over their lifetimes and are more productive in the workplace. This program is designed to meet the needs of the future of Catawba County by assuring that quality education is a valuable resource for all its stakeholders through programming, accountability, investment, policy and practice. Click here to learn more about our Education Matters Certification Program and to download a copy of the application.

Preschool Advancement
To date, COE has helped our schools create four additional high quality preschool classrooms through a combination of business and private foundation contributions that, in turn, have leveraged over $1 million in state funds through NC's More at Four preschool program. Studies have shown that for every $1 invested in high quality preschool, the community sees a return of $17 in reduced social services costs and increased earnings potential.

COE Teaching Scholarships
Every year we award our COE Teaching Scholarships to worthy teaching students who have applied for financial assistance to complete the last two years of their teaching degree. Emphasis is given to those students who plan to teach in high demand subject areas, such as high school and middle school science and math. In exchange for receiving the scholarship, the teaching student commits to teaching in Catawba County for two years, providing us a way to develop a "homegrown" group of outstanding teachers for our community. COE Teaching Scholarships are sponsored by the business community through contributions of $2,500 a year for two years.

In addition, we are always looking for passionate and committed volunteers to help in our work of creating positive partnerships between our businesses and schools. If you are interested in serving on any of our various committees - Family Involvement, Preschool Advancement (Leaps and Bounds), etc. - fill out our Contact Us form and a Champions of Education staff person will be in touch.

Please click here for a list of our current business partners and sponsors.