Triangle educators are teaching today’s students that being the best is not about getting a raise or the coveted corner office. It is about teaching students from an early age that education is the key for succeeding in tomorrow’s workforce. Teaching future leaders starts in elementary schools in the Triangle and continues at some of the nation’s most prestigious area colleges and universities.
Students of all ages have the best education choices in the country in the Triangle region known for its knowledge based workforce and intellectual capital. It all starts at the primary and secondary level in Johnston, Wake, Durham and Orange counties.
Johnston County School System serves more than 32,000 K-12 students. Strong community support through funding for new schools, partnerships with business and nonprofit organizations, and parental involvement contribute to the continued growth of JCSS. Student achievement ranks among the top 20 percent of all North Carolina districts. Students are taught by more than 292 Nationally Board Certified teachers, placing JCS within the top 50 school districts in the nation. Extracurricular activities in arts and athletics programs contribute to well-rounded graduates who speak more than 40 languages.
College and university choices in Johnston County include public and private institutions. Heritage Bible College, Johnston Community College, Central Carolina Community College, Southeastern Freewill Baptist College and Johnston County Early College Academy have academic programs or degrees to fit every career path, goal and budget.
With an enrollment of more than 6,000 and continuing education enrollment of more than 11,000 students per year, Johnston Community College (JCC) ranks 16th among the 58 colleges in the North Carolina Community College System. The 175-acre main campus offers 57 occupational programs as well as numerous programs for today’s continual and life long learners. Other campuses are throughout the county and include the Howell Woods Environmental Learning Center, a 2800-acre wildlife preserve and teaching facility. With over 650 full and part-time, JCC is one of the county's largest employers.
Johnston County’s nearby neighbor, Wake County Public School System, boasts the largest school system in North Carolina. With a student enrollment of approximately 144,000, the top rated school system is the 18th largest school district in the nation. Four new schools opened in 2010-11, bringing the total number of schools to 163. AP and Honors courses, early college and magnet choices prepare students for successful careers.
After high school Wake County students head to Meredith College, Peace College, Shaw College, North Carolina State University, St. Augustine College, Wake Technical Community College, and surround Triangle institutions.
Meredith College welcomed its eighth president in July. Dr. Jo Allen is the school’s first alumna to serve as president at one of the largest private women’s colleges in the U.S. An independent, private women’s college located in Raleigh, Meredith prepares graduates for successful lives as engaged global citizens and leaders by offering a comprehensive undergraduate education, as well as coeducational graduate programs in business, nutrition and education.
Meredith’s president credits the school’s success to its commitment to excellence, stellar programs and proximity to the knowledge based Triangle. “A deep commitment to academic quality is the linchpin of Meredith College’s strengths,” said Dr. Allen. “We have a history of diversifying programming while remaining focused on the liberal arts, on critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Our history and traditions, our service to women and to the community, and our national and global perspectives are also key.”
Nearby North Carolina State University is home to more than 34,000 students and 8,000 faculty and staff. Known for its leadership in education and research, NCSU is globally recognized for its science, technology, engineering and mathematics leadership. Research expenditures are close to $325 million annually, putting the school third among all public universities (except medical schools) in industry-sponsored research. .
Durham Public Schools services the student population in Durham County and offers 52 schools from elementary to high school. In 2009, one of its newest high schools, the City of Medicine Academy (CMA) opened to preparing students for medical careers.
Also in Durham is the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, a public, residential high school where students study a specialized curriculum emphasizing science and mathematics. NCSSM is one of only 13 schools nationwide to have been listed every year among Newsweek’s “Public Elites.”
The three major research education institutions are teaming with North Carolina Central University to combine their collective expertise on soft-matter research. The school is also unique in offering North Carolina’s only associate degree program in opticianry, in clinical trials research, and in dental laboratory technology.
Each year Durham County students make the trek to one of the most prestigious schools in the nation, Duke University. The private college has an approximate annual enrollment of 14,500 students who attend to elite school founded by the Duke family. The Schools of Law, Nursing, Divinity, Medicine and others, train students to become highly skilled professionals in their chosen careers.
“Duke University is a magnet for talented people who come to Durham to study and decide to stay, or return years later, to make their lives and careers, “ said Michael Schoenfeld, Vice President for Public Affairs and Government Relations. “The university's global focus, which includes a medical school in Singapore, a new campus in China, students from more than 95 countries and research programs around the world, helps make the Triangle a center of international business and culture.”
In Orange County, students have the choice of two school districts: Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools System (CHCCS) and Orange County School System.
CHCCS district serves more than 11,700 students in three high schools, four middle schools, ten elementary schools, and an alternative high school. CHCCS has the state's highest district wide SAT score and North Carolina's second highest four-year cohort graduation rate at 89.0 percent.
More than 7,100 students attend 13 schools in Orange County School System. Located in Hillsborough, the county seat, students receive a firm academic foundation in new technologies and careers of the future. Programs at the Health Sciences Academy at Durham Technical Community College, a strong Advanced Placement program, and the Middle College High School at Durham Technical Community College are options students can take to earn college credit while in high school.
Many Orange County students make the trek to UNC-Chapel Hill, the nation’s first state university to open its doors and the only public university to award degrees in the 18th century. North Carolina is ranked No. 5 public university in U.S. News & World Report’s 2012 “Best Colleges” issue, for the 11th consecutive year, first among public campuses for the seventh consecutive year; and 14th overall in “Great Schools, Great Prices.” UNC has also produced more Rhodes Scholars than any other national public research university.
The school that is also noted for being a top “green” institution offers bachelor's, master’s, doctoral and professional degrees in business, dentistry, education, law, medicine, nursing, public health and social work, among others.
The collaboration and partnership among the three leading Triangle institutions of N.C. State University, Duke University and UNC-Chapel Hill with the Triangle school systems continues the reputation of the region for attracting a high level workforce. This knowledge-based region is poised to continue its path toward educating tomorrow’s leaders.
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