Over the past 28 years our Community Foundation has been privileged to lead numerous community initiatives that have had profound impact upon the citizens of High Point. Like every good grandfather knows, you cannot have favorites, but the High Dosage Tutoring Literacy Initiative we have funded for the last 2 years has been near and dear to my heart. It was back in 2020 when Harvey Lowd, my chairman at the time, challenged me to find the one initiative that could change everything in High Point forever. After extensive research and months of conversations throughout our community, I discovered the one common denominator which was associated with every significant challenge we face in High Point. It is our multigenerational deficient in literacy and with the help of four remarkable women; Ann Busby, Dawn Spencer, Principal Steen at Northwood Elementary School, and Dr. Whitney Oakley, Superintendent the Guilford County Schools, we found a solution.
Whether you are talking about poverty, hunger, homelessness, violent crime, unemployment, school discipline, dropout rates, or even incarceration, if you dig deep enough you will find illiteracy is indeed at the root of all these issues. The only way to create a truly level playing field in High Point is to provide every child with the tools and opportunities to be successful, productive, and self-sufficient citizens. We have learned one undeniable truth, children who are not reading at grade level by the 3rd grade will be unable to successfully navigate our educational system. By extension, we also learned that adults who are functionally illiterate will not be able to adequately support themselves or their families. In 2024 our Foundation established a partnership with Guilford Country Schools who needed funds to support a High Dosage Tutoring program that had shown great promise during COVID. We raised $800,000 to run a pilot project in 4 elementary schools in High Point for 2 years and the success that followed has been overwhelming.
GCS Student – Community Tutors – Allen Jay Preparatory Academy – Guilford County Schools
(Chris English / Tigermoth Creative)
This past summer, thanks to the generosity of the David Hayworth Foundation, the program will be expanded to 7 elementary schools in High Point, and I hope to see that number go up to 10 in the next year. The ultimate goal will be to get High Dosage Tutoring into all 15 of High Point’s elementary schools, all of which are Title One Schools. Our Community Foundation has led many initiatives over the years including the HPCF Nonprofit Leadership Program, High Point’s first Latino Center at Christ the King Church, our immediate Response to the COVID Crisis, the Downtown Development Initiative, Shift_Ed, Last Dollar Scholarship Program, Students First, and the Heart of High Point, all of which have created truly significant change.
However, I believe focusing our attention on and investing in our 1st and 2nd graders to have them reading at grade level by 3rd grade will be one of the most important contributions we ever make to this community. At the end of the day, this High Dosage Tutoring program, which is only happening in High Point, is an investment in the future of our young people and must be seen as not only a sacred ethical responsibility, but also an economic development imperative for High Point’s future. We must never forget that Literacy = Self-Sufficiency = A Healthy Community. For Good, For High Point, Forever…
