Leadership Wilmington Class Shadows Teachers, Packs “Break Boxes” for NHCS Students at Nourish, NC!

The Leadership Wilmington class met last week for their third session on education. We began the morning by shadowing teachers and administrators at various schools throughout Wilmington, including Ms. Heinze and Ms. Robles at Sunset Park Elementary, Ms. Brown and Ms. Ciamill at Holly Tree Elementary, Ms. Delaine and Ms. Yates at Howe Pre-K Center, Ms. Failla and Ms. Jacobs at Alderman Elementary, Mr. Kay and Ms. Cole at Roland Grise, Mr. Turk at Hoggard High School, and Mr. Radabaugh and Ms. Ledesma at Gregory International School. The class thoroughly enjoyed getting a behind the scenes look at our public schools, and feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with many classmates commenting on the seemingly impossible job educators have each day. We appreciate these educators taking sharing their day with Leadership Wilmington. Additional thanks to Caress Clegg for her help in planning a meaningful morning with New Hanover County Schools.

Following the shadowing experience, the class met with New Hanover County School leadership, including Board of Education Chair Lisa Estep and members Stefanie Adams and Judy Justice. Superintendent Markley and Deputy Superintendent Smith also joined us for the panel discussion. Discussion topics included current challenges and opportunities within our district and an honest discussion about why it is important for leaders in our community to consider running for the Board of Education in addition to considerations about City Council or County Commissioners. Three seats are up for election on the Board of Education in 2020 with the filing period beginning Monday, December 2!

Will Rikard and Sean Bynum joined us at the Wilmington Chamber to discuss workforce challenges in our community. Will and Sean, executive director and operations director for Step Up Wilmington, are driven to providing jobs to unemployed and underemployed individuals in our community, including individuals with a prior criminal history. Over two million people in North Carolina alone have a criminal history with 100,000 more convicted of crimes each year. Step Up Wilmington provides critical employability skills training that will propel them to meaningful employment at or above a living wage. Everyone deserves to hear their "eight great words," motto - "I am a valuable person of great worth."

We ended the day with Nourish NC by packing 100 break boxes full of meals and healthy treats for children in our community. Steve McCrossan is a graduate of Leadership Wilmington and Executive Director of Nourish NC. When Nourish NC started their work, one in four children in New Hanover County suffered from food insecurity. Today, in large part to their unique way of distributing food to children without bureaucracy, that statistic has shifted to one in five children. But we still have a long way to go given New Hanover County is home to six food deserts. For more information on Nourish NC and to learn how to help support their mission, please visit https://nourishnc.org/.

The class of Leadership Wilmington is well on their way in planning for Work on Wilmington! Please save April 25, 2020, on your calendars for WOW. Project applications and volunteer registration are now available on our website at workonwilmington.org! If you have questions about WOW or are interested in sponsoring this day of community service, please contact me directly at lewis@wilmingtonchamber.org or 910-762-2611 x206.