The Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation continues to focus its efforts in the Pre-collegiate Education Focus Area on building school leadership capacity. We continue to work with the State Board of Education on a new education initiative to provide for alternative licensure preparation for new principals for high-needs schools. Details about the new initiative will be posted when they are finalized. Click here if you would like to be notified when more information becomes available. In addition, the Foundation will continue to provide grants in the Pre-collegiate Education Focus Area, as described below.  

Grants in the Pre-collegiate Education focus area will be limited to project grants that address the need to:

• Recruit or retain qualified teachers in low wealth schools or school districts;
• Develop leadership skills of future or current school administrators;
• Develop new or improved coordination between school systems and countywide or multi-county mental health, health and/or social service systems of care, especially those that target low-income or at-risk children.

Grants will be limited to projects which are innovative or research-based, and which are replicable and can be evaluated.  Projects that the Foundation has previously funded in the pre-collegiate education area the past two years are also welcome to apply for continuation funding based on the results they are achieving.

The Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation remains committed to improving public pre-collegiate education in North Carolina.  The decision to limit funding in this area was based in large measure on conversations with numerous North Carolina educators.  The Foundation believes that its resources will be best utilized if they are focused in these ways. 

If you have questions about this decision, please contact Leslie Winner.