Supporting Teachers and Students in Cabarrus County

Recently, my business became a supporter of the Cabarrus County Education Foundation, an organization that supports teachers and students in Cabarrus County Schools. I have decided to become a regular contributor to this organization, donating a portion of every one of my real estate transactions to support teachers and students through the CCEF.

Recent Grant Visit
A few weeks ago, I visited Harrisburg Elementary School to witness a grant from the Cabarrus County Education Foundation in action. Third grade teacher Debra Diegmann was awarded a grant for her project, Global Art – An Exploration in Chinese Paper Cutting, through the Foundation’s Classroom Mini Grant program. Not only will this grant benefit the students in her class, but these funds are benefitting the entire third grade department.

What is the Project?
Local Artist, Ingrid Erickson, came to Harrisburg Elementary to share the history of Chinese paper cutting and spent time helping each third grader create an art piece. Every third grade class will have a Chinese paper cutting piece displayed at the school, and Asian books will be purchased and used to enhance the experience.

“By integrating the arts with global awareness, students will be able to advocate for multiculturalism within the community.” Said Diegmann in her grant application. “Visual arts provide students with a sense of ownership of their learning and naturally fosters problem solving and critical thinking skills. Students need to work together with a diverse population to think creatively, critically, and cooperatively in order to solve problems.”

Click here to see more photos from the visit.

Why I Support the CCEF
My son is a second grader at a public school in Cabarrus County, and when I walk through the halls when I visit him, I see enthusiastic teachers and staff, who have all taken the time to know my child by name (even those who do not have him in class). I see a caring institution that does not get the credit it deserves, and one that folks frequently criticize.

I also see severe lack of financial support that needs to be addressed throughout the school system. I feel that the business community can help fill some of those gaps and that is why I am committing to donating a portion of every real estate transaction I complete to the CCEF.

I am hopeful that in some small way my donations will help to energize a teacher, help to inspire a young student or maybe bring more positive awareness to our schools to the public in general. Maybe, if I am lucky, we can achieve all of the above!

CCEF Mini Grants
The CCEF funded 56 classroom grant projects for the 2015-2016 school year. Teachers can apply for grants all year long and usually awarded in December each year. Projects are cross-curricular and include everything from robots, coding and student broadcast software to drop-out prevention programs, art therapy units and butterfly gardens. As a result, this year’s projects will impact 18,000 students in Cabarrus County Schools! To learn more about the CCEF, visit their website at www.ccefnc.org.