The Governor’s Crime Commission has awarded one of 18 Byrne State Crisis Gun Violence Intervention Program grants to the North Carolina 7th Judicial District and NC Wesleyan University, totaling nearly $500,000. This funding will support critical violence intervention programs, including treatment courts, aimed at addressing community safety and reducing recidivism.
NC Wesleyan University (NCWU) has partnered with the 7th Judicial District as the fiscal agent for the grant, continuing a long-standing collaboration. Dr. Elizabeth Marsal, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice at NCWU, will serve as the evaluator for the project and Dr. Jay Fortenbery, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice, will oversee student interns assigned to the court.
Halifax County Superior Court Judge Brenda G. Branch, an NCWU alumna, expressed her gratitude for the university’s ongoing support. “We were able to build upon the relationship that was already established with Wesleyan, and once again, their administrators answered our call for assistance by agreeing to serve as fiscal agent to assist with the distribution of the grant funds,” said Judge Branch.
Judge Teresa R. Freeman will lead the grant team, which includes Mr. Victor Marrow, program coordinator, as well as representatives from law enforcement, the district attorney’s office, public and private defense counsel, substance use and mental health providers, probation officers, and NCWU evaluator, Dr. Marsal. This grant will strengthen efforts to provide comprehensive violence intervention programs, reinforcing the commitment of both the 7th Judicial District and NCWU to enhance public safety and improve community outcomes.
NCWU Receives Grant for Digital Humanities Teaching & Learning
ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA – North Carolina Wesleyan University recently received a $60K grant from The National Endowment for the Humanities. Over the two-year grant period, NCWU will expand the Digital Humanities Lab, create a new course (Introduction to Digital Humanities), improve faculty knowledge of the digital humanities, incorporate local history into digital humanities projects, and promote undergraduate student research projects using digital humanities tools and methods. The proposed expansion of NCWU’s digital humanities programming is aligned with the institution’s mission and commitment to the eastern North Carolina region and its emphasis on innovative teaching approaches to use new information technologies.
Project co-directors, Dr. Jason W. Buel (Communication/Media Arts) and Dr. Shane M. Thompson (Religious Studies) established NCWU’s first Digital Humanities Lab as a physical space on campus to raise the profile of the University’s humanities, with the goal to make them more exciting, accessible, and modern to the general student population.
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Joseph H. Lane, Jr., states “We are very excited that Dr. Thompson and Dr. Buel have received this grant. Their work in the area of digital humanities is the perfect example of the ways that North Carolina Wesleyan enriches our students’ lives with innovative teaching approaches that take advantage of the amazing new tools that can enrich our classrooms and our contributions to the community.”
The National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965 created the National Endowment for the Humanities as an independent federal agency. The law identified the need for a national cultural agency that would preserve America’s rich history and cultural heritage, and encourage and support scholarship and innovation in history, archaeology, philosophy, literature, and other humanities disciplines. The Endowment awards grants to top-rated proposals examined by panels of independent, external reviewers.
About The National Endowment For The Humanities
Created in 1965 as an independent federal agency, the National Endowment for the Humanities supports research and learning in history, literature, philosophy, and other areas of the humanities by funding selected, peer-reviewed proposals from around the nation. Additional information about the National Endowment for the Humanities and its grant programs is available at: www.neh.gov.
The Dunn Center Gets a Makeover
ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA – Over the last several months, The Dunn Center at North Carolina Wesleyan University has been the recipient of multiple grants that will allow for the renovation of various spaces in the facility. The Dunn Center was initially opened in 1996, with many of the spaces still in their original form.
The DeLeon Carter Foundation has donated $14,000 for the renovation of the Sweatt Courtyard, located adjacent to the Carlton Board Room. This will permit The Dunn Center to purchase new outdoor furnishings, heaters, art, lighting and an awning for the space. The DeLeon Carter Foundation was established by the late Myrtle Carter Henry in memory of her father, DeLeon Carter, for educational and scientific projects in Nash County. Since it began making grants in 1997, the DeLeon Carter Foundation has given approximately $900,000 in much-needed grants.
Additionally, The Honorable Phil Carlton has pledged $35,000 for the full redesign of the Carlton Board Room, which is named after him. Local interior designer, Leslie Bauer, has donated her time to assist with renovation. This will include paint, lighting, drapery, art, cabinetry, refinished tables and lamps.
“A Board of Trustees member, Thomas A. Betts, Jr., made the presentation to the Carter and Carlton Foundations that led to these awards. In 2022, he secured $30,200 from The Mims Foundation to renovate the Mims Art Gallery. That particular renovation is near completion with a formal reopening planned for early spring,” stated Greg Purcell, Art Curator.
These spaces are also available to the public to rent for board meetings, company gatherings, holiday parties and more. For additional information, visit ncwu.edu/event-venue-rentals.
About North Carolina Wesleyan University
North Carolina Wesleyan University (NCWU) is a small, private Methodist-affiliated institution with a liberal arts-based core curriculum that prepares students for professional advancement, life-long learning and responsible participation in their communities. NCWU offers liberal arts, professional and graduate degree programs for traditional, transfer and working-adult students. The skills cultivated by faculty and built into the curriculum include critical thinking and reflection, communication, collaboration, and information technology. North Carolina Wesleyan University delivers education that is personal, practical and purpose-driven. Personal…through mentoring and the connections that are provided. Practical…by helping students develop lifelong skills. Purpose-driven…by helping them fulfill their purpose in life. With students from all over the United States and more than 40 different countries, the University has immense cultural diversity. To learn more, visit ncwu.edu and follow on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok and Instagram.
NCWU Teacher Education Program Receives Grant from NCDPI
ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA – North Carolina Wesleyan University’s Teacher Education Program recently received a $30,000 Education Preparation Program (EPP) grant from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s (NCDPI) Office of Exceptional Children. This Special Education Student Teaching Stipend will support two NCWU special education student teachers during the spring 2023 semester.
To be eligible for the stipend, students must be engaging in a special education student teaching opportunity during the 2022-23 school year in pursuit of a special education license. NC Wesleyan students, Chlorinda Lafranque and Taylor Webb, are the grant recipients and will student teach, respectively, at Benvenue and Winstead/Englewood Elementary schools.
In addition, this grant intends to:
- Increase the diversity of the special education teaching profession
- Retain special education teachers in North Carolina after successful completion of an NC Educator Preparation Program (EPP)
- Provide ongoing support for early-career special education teachers
- Develop a community of practice among a diverse set of early career teachers and their mentors
Dr. Patricia Brewer, NCWU Professor and Coordinator of Special Education, continues to highlight the program’s 100 percent licensure passage rate on the North Carolina Licensure PRAXIS Exam: Special Education Core Knowledge and Mild-to-Moderate. Dr. Brewer also recognizes the impact of the Students Helping Students Award-Winning Afterschool Program that provides opportunities for diversity in teaching and service-learning.
“We are so excited about this grant,” stated Dr. Brewer. “The funds will supplement students’ living costs and related expenses during student teaching.”
As a condition of accepting a stipend, each special education student teacher recipient agrees through an assurance agreement to seek employment in North Carolina for at least one full school year and actively participate in the NC Early Career NCDPI/Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) partnership.
About North Carolina Wesleyan University
North Carolina Wesleyan University (NCWU) is a small, private Methodist-affiliated institution with a liberal arts-based core curriculum that prepares students for professional advancement, life-long learning and responsible participation in their communities. NCWU offers liberal arts, professional and graduate degree programs for traditional, transfer and working-adult students. The skills cultivated by faculty and built into the curriculum include critical thinking and reflection, communication, collaboration, and information technology. North Carolina Wesleyan University delivers education that is personal, practical and purpose-driven. Personal…through mentoring and the connections that are provided. Practical…by helping students develop lifelong skills. Purpose-driven…by helping them fulfill their purpose in life. With students from all over the United States and more than 40 different countries, the University has immense cultural diversity. To learn more, visit ncwu.edu and follow on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok and Instagram.
NC Wesleyan Receives Grant to Fund iBelong Male Mentoring Program℠
ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA – North Carolina Wesleyan University was recently awarded a grant from NC Independent Colleges and Universities (NCICU) to help fund the iBelong Male Mentoring Program℠. The grant will be utilized to create opportunities for black male students to engage in a variety of activities that offer academic learning, emotional support, job readiness preparation, and cultural experiences such as field trips, movie nights and counseling sessions.
The NCICU iBelong Male Mentoring Program℠ provides funding to implement strategies designed to increase the retention and graduation rates of minority males at member campuses through mentoring, life coaching and educational forums. NC Wesleyan University joins 13 other NCICU campuses with iBelong Male Mentoring Programs. Dr. Kelvin Spragley, NCWU’s Director of Teacher Education and Coordinator of Diversity and Inclusion Programming is providing leadership for this initiative.
“Mentoring programs for college and university students have been proven effective at increasing engagement, as well as persistence and completion rates for participants. This is especially true for male students of color,” stated Dr. Kelvin Spragley. “Studies have shown that African-American students have very different experiences than their majority colleagues, among these are feelings of isolation and lower levels of campus engagement. I’m honored to help guide and mentor these young men through their college experience.”
The iBelong Male Mentoring Program℠ at NC Wesleyan University is working through Black Men Winning, a recently created student organization devoted to uplifting and assisting African-American males in a holistic manner. The Black Men Winning student organization has already scheduled activities for the spring 2023 term, including a field trip to the National Museum of African American History and Culture, a Motivational Speaker Forum, Interview Workshops, STEM Forum Participation, and a Policing and the Black Community Forum. Currently, the program has 21 participants. For more information about the program, including how to partner with the University in this initiative, please contact Dr. Spragley at kspragley@ncwu.edu.
About North Carolina Wesleyan University
North Carolina Wesleyan University (NCWU) is a small, private Methodist-affiliated institution with a liberal arts-based core curriculum that prepares students for professional advancement, life-long learning and responsible participation in their communities. NCWU offers liberal arts, professional and graduate degree programs for traditional, transfer and working-adult students. The skills cultivated by faculty and built into the curriculum include critical thinking and reflection, communication, collaboration, and information technology. North Carolina Wesleyan University delivers education that is personal, practical and purpose-driven. Personal…through mentoring and the connections that are provided. Practical…by helping students develop lifelong skills. Purpose-driven…by helping them fulfill their purpose in life. With students from all over the United States and more than 40 different countries, the University has immense cultural diversity. To learn more, visit ncwu.edu and follow on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok and Instagram.
NCWU Receives Grant Funds for Educator Preparation Program
North Carolina Wesleyan University is one of 31 schools to recently receive grant funds to support its Educator Preparation Program (EPP). North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (NCICU), the statewide office representing 36 private, nonprofit colleges and universities, recently disbursed a total of $248,000 in subgrants from the Goodnight Educational Foundation to support the work of the faculty in each individual program. The work includes enhancing, redesigning, and developing effective literacy coursework, practica, and internships based on the Science of Reading. Each of NCICU’s 31 EPPs received $8,000 in grant funds following an application and review process. Pending continued funding from the Goodnight Educational Foundation, each of the 31 EPPs will receive an additional $7,600 in 2023 to fully implement their projects. To learn more, please visit NCICU’s website.
Grant Makes Renovations Possible for The Mims Gallery
ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA – After nearly thirty years, The Mims Gallery, located in The Dunn Center at North Carolina Wesleyan University will receive a much-needed facelift. The Mims Foundation recently awarded a grant to the University for a complete renovation of the art gallery named for Allan C. and Margaret L. Mims. A local Nash County businessman, Mr. Mims was one of the founding members of NC Wesleyan nearly 66 years ago.
“I’m grateful to Tom Betts, one of our board members, and the representatives of the Mims Foundation Board of Directors for making this renovation possible,” stated Dr. Evan D. Duff, NCWU President.
Sheila Martin, Executive Director of The Dunn Center and Greg Purcell, Art Curator, note that this renovation will include the work of local artists, Marilyn Anselmi and Jan Sullivan-Volz. The new shelving will feature wood from the Rocky Mount Mills, circa 1850, as well as a copper mobile hanging from the skylight that depicts the indigenous leaves of North Carolina, a sight sure to marvel visitors.
The Mims Foundation gift is a game changer for the gallery. Work will begin soon, ensuring that the space will be ready for art exhibits previously booked for late 2022 and early 2023. These updates are also timely in that they will transform the area prior to The Mims Gallery welcoming thousands of visitors anticipated for the Fantastic Little Paintings exhibit featuring the work of the late Bob Ross. The Ross collection of 88 paintings will fill The Mims and Gravely Galleries from November 2, 2023 until January 4, 2024.
About The Dunn Center
The Dunn Center is a premier venue for concerts, shows and conferences in eastern NC. Located on the campus of NC Wesleyan University, in the heart of Rocky Mount, The Dunn Center is proud to host the Wesleyan Season Series of cultural events and concerts. In addition to these world-class performances, The Dunn Center features a variety of campus and community events, including Wesleyan Players productions, concerts of the Tar River Swing Band and Orchestra and other various performances by nationally known artists. The Mims and Gravely Galleries, located within The Dunn Center, hosts a variety of exhibits, including paintings, drawings, and sculpture. The galleries are open weekdays from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., as well as during performances. To learn more, visit dunncenter.com and follow on Facebook.
