Wake County Public School System and William Peace University Developing Leadership Academy Partnership
November 1, 2011 – The Wake County Public School System and William Peace University are working on plans to establish an early college campus for the school system's new single-gender leadership academies for students in grades six through 13 effective fall 2012.
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Under the terms of a Memorandum of Understanding being developed by WCPSS and William Peace University that will be presented to their respective boards, the Wake Young Women's Leadership Academy and the Wake Young Men's Leadership Academy will be located entirely on the Peace campus. The two schools' curricula are designed to develop future leaders through team cohesiveness, academic rigor and personal attention in a highly structured environment committed to success. All students attending the Wake Leadership Academies will graduate on time with college credits, motivated and highly prepared to be college- and career-ready.
Attending either the Wake Young Women's Leadership Academy or Wake Young Men's Leadership Academy is completely voluntary. To be considered for acceptance, a student must submit an application including an essay and letters of recommendation. Other application requirements include a review of past achievement data and attendance records, and an interview with prospective students. Ideally, half of Wake Leadership Academy students will be first-generation college bound.
Representatives of the Wake Leadership Academies will be available at the WCPSS Magnet Fair this Saturday, Nov. 5 from 9 a.m. to noon at Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School, located at 2600 Rock Quarry Road in Raleigh. Applications will be available online beginning Nov. 5 and are due no later than Friday, Jan. 13. Notifications of selection will begin in February 2012.
"We're excited about the chance to work with William Peace University," said WCPSS Superintendent Tony Tata. "Our school system has a strong history of partnering with higher education to provide unique, student-centered instruction. We look forward to bringing a solid proposal to the Wake County Board of Education and Peace's Board of Trustees."
"William Peace University is excited about the possibility of collaborating and joining with the Wake County Public School System on this innovative project," said Debra M. Townsley, Ph.D., president of William Peace University. "We support any worthwhile efforts to expand educational opportunities in our community, and I believe this program is deserving of further discovery."
In addition, WCPSS has begun discussions with the General H. Hugh Shelton Leadership Center at North Carolina State University to offer some of its programming to leadership academy students. The Shelton Leadership Center's offerings include value-based leadership skills centered on principles of honesty, integrity, compassion, respect for diversity, and social responsibility. Hands-on leadership opportunities and "360-degree" feedback components would also be integrated.
As WCPSS staff developed the leadership academy concept, they considered the under-utilized facilities at the Longview School, River Oaks Middle School and Mary Phillips High for program expansion.
"A partnership with Peace would provide a stronger foundation for these two innovative schools," said Tata. "We're still exploring ways to use the Longview, River Oaks and Phillips facilities more efficiently while strengthening the student services currently provided there."
About WCPSS: The Wake County Public School System comprises more than 146,000 students, 165 schools, and more than 10,000 teachers and instructional staff dedicated to high expectations and achievement for every child. It is the largest school system in North Carolina, and the 17th-largest in the nation. Based in Cary, NC, WCPSS serves the families of the state capital, Raleigh, and its surrounding suburban and rural communities. The 8,858 graduates of its Class of 2011 earned $79.8 million in scholarships with more than 1,498 National Honor Society graduates. WCPSS offers a range of innovative academic opportunities including a nationally-recognized magnet program, networks of STEM and Global schools, early colleges and leadership academies. For more information, visit www.wcpss.net.
About William Peace University: William Peace University is located in the heart of Raleigh, North Carolina. It was founded in 1857 as Peace Institute, offering education for boys and girls in primary grades and to women from high school to college. Peace, an all women’s college, became a four-year baccalaureate college and graduated its first bachelor’s students in August of 1996. Peace began offering coeducational evening courses through the William Peace School of Professional Studies in 2009. In 2011, Peace College transitioned to William Peace University and will begin admitting male students to its day program in fall 2012. Its mission is to prepare students for careers in the organizations of tomorrow. On average, more than 90 percent of the university’s graduates are placed in jobs or graduate school within one year of graduation. For more information, please visit www.peace.edu.