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Project Impact was founded in 2016 by business leaders. As a group, they agreed to raise $45 million to expand early education opportunities for children throughout Forsyth County. This was a major shift from previous community efforts, which were focused on reducing dropout rates and closing the achievement gap.

With Project Impact, the goal is to reduce the achievement gap and dropout rates by supporting students as early as possible – and even before they start kindergarten.

Three Key Strategies

Project Impact provides financial support for three initiatives to adress and narrow the achievement gap:

1. Early Learning Capacity & Staffing

High-quality pre-kindergarten programs teach children more than their letters and colors. They introduce children to school expectations, such as taking turns, working together and walking in a line.

By 2020, support from Project Impact will support a total of 34 licensed pre-kindergarten classrooms, including 21 in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County schools.

More than 200 4-year-olds are enrolled in pre-kindergarten in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools because of Project Impact.

2. Community Outreach

Summer is a time for learning for the students who attend programs funded by Project Impact.

  • Pathway to K and Pathway to 1 programs offer 15 days of instruction to almost 500 students. These programs help prepare them for the start of school in August.
  • Ready Freddy encourages family participation in pre-K classrooms and playgroups for 4-year-olds through partnerships with two of the city’s largest childcare providers.
  • Countdown to K registration programs, held at every Winston-Salem/Forsyth County elementary school, help soothe nerves and get children and their parents excited about kindergarten.
92% of children could hold a book correctly at the end of Pathway to K, compared to 51% at the start.

3. Professional Development & Instructional Support

The quality of our programs reflects our investment in teacher training and support.

  • All K-2 teachers and assistants in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County schools receive research-based reading instruction and training.
  • Early learning partners provide teacher coaching and support for all Winston-Salem/Forsyth County early childhood programs.
  • Culturally relevant text, math, science and social studies materials are provided to pre-kindergarten teachers.

Project Impact funds the salaries of three pre-K coaches, one transition coordinator, one bilingual liaison and one evaluation specialist.

The History of Project Impact

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May 2016

The community-wide Project Impact initiative is announced
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May 2016

First grant requests are submitted
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August 2016

Project Impact funds six pre-K classrooms for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools
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Summer 2017

First Pathway to K program is held, serving 149 students
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January 2017

First program manager is hired
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November 2017

Office of Early Learning is established and an early learning coordinator is hired

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January 2018

Pre-K program manager is hired

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Summer 2018

First Pathway to 1 program is held, serving 94 students
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Summer 2019

Pathway to K and Pathway to 1 programs serve a total of 467 students
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August 2019

Project Impact partially funds 21 pre-K classrooms in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County school system

Board of Directors

Janet Wheeler

Chair, Community Leader and Retired Vice President of R.J. Reynolds

Graham Bennett

President – Quality Oil

Kelley Bendheim

K-3 Literacy Consultant, NC Department of Public Instruction

F. Hudnall Christopher

Retired – RJ Reynolds

*Advisory Member

Dr. Matthew Cullinan

Community Leader and Former University Administrator

Dr. Anthony Graham

Provost – Winston-Salem State University

Mona Lovett

President and CEO – Crosby Scholars Community Partnership

Jose Rodriguez

Senior Partner – KPMG

Kimberly Simms

Parent Representative

Mamie Sutphin

Director, Community Engagement Programs – Reynolds American

Will Sutton

Executive Vice President and Director – The BB&T Leadership Institute

Paul Wiles

Former CEO – Novant Health and BEST NC Board Member

Grant Requests Funded by Project Impact

2016-2017

TOTAL INVESTMENT PER YEAR
$1,777,170.00
  • Pathway to K (Summer Program for Rising Kindergarteners)
  • Pre-K Classrooms (6)
  • WS/FCS Summer Schools
  • Program Manager, Project Impact

2017-2018

TOTAL INVESTMENT PER YEAR
$3,588,042.92
  • Previous Programming from 2016-17, plus …
  • Pre-K Classrooms (+8)
  • Pathway to 1 (Summer Program for Rising First-Grade Students)
  • Leadership Development Programs
  • Summer Programs (CLMS)
  • Early Steps Reading Interventionist Programming
  • Early Learning Evaluation Specialist

2018-2019

TOTAL INVESTMENT PER YEAR
$4,227,412.60
  • Previous Programming from 2017-18, plus …
  • Pre-K Classrooms (+8)
  • Pre-K Social/Emotional First Response Training
  • Early Learning Partners (3)
  • After-School Programming (CLMS)
  • RRtCP (Reading Research to Classroom Practice)
  • Professional Development for Kindergarten Teachers and Assistants
  • Transitions Programming (Ready Freddy with Pre-K Parents and Students and the Community)
  • CT3 at Petree Elementary School/CLMS

2019-2020

TOTAL INVESTMENT PER YEAR
$7,764,915.14
  • Previous Programming from 2018-19, plus …
  • Pre-K Classrooms (+3)
  • Pre-K Literacy Training
  • Early Learning Partners (3)
  • Pre-K Coaches (2)
  • Transitions Programming (Playgroups for 4-Year-Olds on Pre-K Waiting List and Caregivers)
  • Pre-K Licensure
  • Ready, Set, K Web Resource
  • Virtual Pathway to 1 (Summer Programming for 300+ Students)
  • Early Learning at Home Web Resource

Supporters

Founding Partners

Corporate and Foundation Lead Donors

Individual Lead Donors

Thomas R. Adams
Sally and David Blanco
Wendy and Mike Brenner
Mary Louise and John Burress
Susan Cameron
Claire and Hudnall Christopher, Jr.
Woody Clinard
Madlon and Kirk Glenn
Norma Sink and Charlie Hemrick
Grace and John McKinnon
Becky and Dave Morgan
Frances and Steve Porter
Anna Reilly and Matt Cullinan
John C. Whitaker, Jr.