CommunityLink

Durham, NC

Education

For many families, finding the right place to relocate involves a close look at the schools available in the area. Education is a major focus in the Durham area. The area has more Ph.D.s per capita than anywhere in the country. In the Durham area, families will be pleased to find a plethora of prime educational opportunities. From preschool to graduate programs and everything in between, Durham exceeds the educational expectations of residents.

Early Childhood Education

Day care centers throughout the area provide the added benefit of early educational services while children are being cared for during the day. Many centers engage children through a variety of educational methods, preparing them for a bright future in public or private school. For additional information and day care center referrals, contact Child Care Services Association at 919-967-3272.

To further prepare children for school, there are also several preschools available in the area. Certified teachers offer a
wide range of curriculum choices for the area’s 3- and 4-year-olds. From socialization to letter and number recognition, children discover that learning is fun, and this discovery promotes a lifelong desire to expand their knowledge.

Durham Public Schools System

The Durham Public Schools System is home to almost 31,000 students in 46 schools. Class sizes are kept small in Durham, giving the teachers an opportunity to spend more one-on-one time with the students. But this is just one of the reasons students are succeeding. The excellence of teaching shows in the region’s test scores: Standardized test scores continue to climb, as do the average SAT scores for the district. The solid foundation students receive has helped prepare them for higher education; almost nine of 10 students plan to pursue post-secondary education.

The schools in the Durham Public Schools System offer more than just academic education, however. Students are given many opportunities to become involved in extracurricular activities. The schools boast state champions in football, wrestling, track, golf and women’s volleyball. And athletics aren’t the only extracurricular activity. There are language, service and academic clubs as well as visual- and performing-arts groups to join at any of the Durham Public Schools System schools.

One of the unique aspects of the Durham Public Schools System is where the students attend school. Unlike other schools in the region, Durham does not bus students across town. The school district believes in neighborhood schools where students are given the opportunity to learn where they live. Parents are, however, given many choices within the district, with a liberal transfer policy
in place.

Durham Public Education Network
For almost 20 years, the Durham Public Education Network (DPEN) has been encouraging the Durham community to come together in support of public education. Realizing that public education is critical to breaking the cycle of poverty throughout the nation, DPEN focuses on several programs specially created to help Durham children succeed.

One such program is the K-3 Initiative. Studies show that students performing at or above grade level by the time they reach third grade have a higher likelihood of continued success. Over 150 volunteers are recruited each year as part of the Reading First program. The volunteers are trained to read a carefully selected book to all first graders as part of a “day of reading” in the Durham communities. Students are then given their own copy of the book to take home and read to their families. Improving test scores in the elementary schools continue to show the value of this project.

DPEN’s Teacher Initiative Grants provide monetary support for creative classroom projects, while the Durham Public Schools Wellness Partnership provides primary care for all students with written parental permission for health issues such as chronic diseases, immunizations, lab tests, diagnosis of acute illnesses and injuries, and much more.

The DPEN relies heavily on the community for financial support to continue these and other programs that are helping the children in Durham to become the best students they can be.

North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics

Junior and senior high school students in North Carolina have another choice when it comes to finishing their high school careers. At the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (NCSSM), located in Durham, students experience a whole new approach to learning.

The residential, public high school — the first such school in the United States — accepts juniors and seniors from throughout North Carolina. The school day is nontraditional, with study groups and lectures often happening in the evening, making it necessary for students to live on campus, regardless of which North Carolina city they call home. The enrollment standards are demanding, meaning students at NCSSM are some of the best and brightest in the state.

There is no additional cost for room and board to attend NCSSM — students are only asked to bring their own spending money — and the benefits, both educational and financial, are tremendous. Starting with the class of 2004, any graduate of NCSSM enrolling in any of the 16 UNC-system schools will receive a grant to cover tuition costs for each year they attend. The quality of a NCSSM education is apparent in the number of students receiving scholarships. Since 1997, NCSSM students have received more than $70 million in scholarships and grants.

Private-School Options

Durham has a wide variety of private-school offerings. For a complete list, go to the Verizon yellow pages. Examples of the excellent private schools in Durham include the following.

Camelot Academy offers a college-­preparatory curriculum to a student body of about 100 in grades kindergarten through 12. Each student’s pace and level of study is completely individualized, and learning is made relevant by constant emphasis on application. All graduating seniors at Camelot have been accepted at a four-year college for three years running, many earning scholarships as well.

For more information on Camelot Academy, call 919-688-3040 or visit www.camelotacademy.org.

Duke School was established in 1947 as a lab school for students in the departments of psychology and education at Duke University. Today it’s a nationally renowned school teaching preschool through eighth grade. A unique child-centered, project-based, integrated curriculum, established over 50 years ago by psychologists and educators at Duke University, continues to adapt to serve a variety of learning styles. Duke School has been chosen by the state of North Carolina as a model preschool. For more information on Duke School, call 919-286-1866 or visit www.dukeschool.org.

Founded in 1933, Durham Academy has been named one of the nation’s top 10 “Bang for the Buck” schools by the Wall Street Journal. Home to approximately 1,100 students in pre-K through grade 12, Durham Academy is an independent, coeducational day school that teaches students about the world around them through the exploration of other cultures and customs. The Hill Center, an affiliate of Durham Academy, offers specialized, half-day instruction for students in kindergarten through grade 12 who have specific learning disabilities and/or attention deficit disorders. For more information on Durham Academy, call 919-493-5787 or visit www.da.org.

Founded in 1984, Emerson Waldorf School, located in Chapel Hill, is affiliated with the international association of Waldorf Schools and offers a time-tested curriculum based on the philosophy of Dr. Rudolf Steiner, who advocated interdisciplinary and multi-sensory learning. It offers a rich blend of academics and arts tailored to the needs of the child at each stage of development. Emerson Waldorf School enrolls children ages 4 to 17, in grades pre-K through 11. Grade 12 will be added in 2005. For more information, call 919-967-1858 or visit
www.emersonwaldorf.org.

Trinity School of Durham & Chapel Hill is a coeducational, independent day school accredited by Christian Schools International and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Trinity currently offers transitional kindergarten through eighth grade; Trinity High School commences in the fall of 2006 with a ninth-grade class and will progress one grade per year. The mission of Trinity School is to educate students within the framework of Christian faith and conviction, teaching the classical tools of learning. However, Trinity is not a covenant school, and students from other faiths, as well as those from other nonreligious backgrounds, are welcome. Trinity’s model of learning is quite different from one that focuses on merely learning content. Instead, students learn how to learn for themselves as they apply the tools of learning to the various subjects of the curriculum. At each stage of the child’s development, learning takes on a character of its own that reflects the needs and strengths of each age group. Trinity’s “rich” curriculum allows children to interact with the best materials available that are suited to their developmental stage. This includes classic literature, art and music, and ample first-hand interaction with the actual materials of nature and science. Trinity also offers boys’, girls’ and coeducational sports. For more information, call 919-402-8262 or visit www.trinityschoolnc.org.

North Carolina Central University

Teaching students since 1910, North Carolina Central University (NCCU) has historically excelled at its stated purpose: to develop character and sound academic training in the young men and women attending NCCU, preparing them for real service to the nation.

NCCU was the first public liberal arts college in the nation for African Americans and was originally formed as a training ground for teachers of religious education. Today, the school excels in a number of areas, including its nursing program, a new environmental science program and a very strong law school. NCCU continues to research new methods to ensure the success of the ever-growing student body. Teaching continues to be the primary focus of the university, and faculty who excel in the classroom are recognized and rewarded. Faculty members are also encouraged to pursue intellectual and professional development.

There are many degrees offered in both the bachelor of arts and bachelor of science disciplines. In addition, students can obtain a bachelor of business administration, bachelor of science in nursing, bachelor of music or bachelor of social work. The master’s program offers master of arts, master of arts in teaching (master of education), master of science, master of business administration, master of school administration, master of information science, master of library science, master of public administration and the juris doctor.

Research is also an important part of North Carolina Central University. The Julius L. ChambersBiomedical/Biotechnology Research Institute (JLC-BBRI) has become a leader in the research of human diseases, particularly those that disproportionately affect under-represented minority groups.

With the addition of the new Mary M. Townes Science Complex, opening in fall 2005, and a new Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise (BRITE) Center of Excellence, scheduled to open in 2007, NCCU will dramatically expand its capacity for scientific research.

Duke University

Duke University has long been intertwined with North Carolina’s intellectual, economic and social life. Established in 1838 in Randolph County, the school moved to Durham in 1892 as Trinity College. It became Duke University in 1924 with a $40 million gift from tobacco baron and philanthropist James Buchanan Duke as a memorial to his father, Washington Duke. Though younger than most other prestigious U.S. research universities, Duke consistently ranks among the very best.

More than 11,000 students from around the globe attend Duke in pursuit of undergraduate, graduate or professional degrees in the arts and sciences, business, divinity, engineering, environment, law, medicine, and nursing. About 15 percent of undergraduates hail from North Carolina — more than from any other single state. Duke accepts qualified students regardless of ability to pay. Nearly half of North Carolina students at Duke receive financial aid from the university, with awards averaging more than $28,000 a year.

Famous for its men’s and women’s basketball teams, the university also fields teams in 26 varsity sports. Its honors extend from ACC and national championships in several sports to the selection of Blue Devil student athletes as national players of the year.

The campus is situated on nearly 10,000 acres in Durham. The 210-foot tower of Duke Chapel dominates the neo-Gothic West Campus designed by African-American architect Julian Abele in the mid-1920s. Duke’s original East Campus, built in the Georgian style, is home to all first-year students. Duke attracts hundreds of visitors every year who come to explore sites including the Chapel, the Sarah P. Duke Gardens, Duke Forest, the Primate Center and the new Nasher Museum of Art, as well as to attend the many dance, music and theatrical performances and academic lectures.

Duke is a huge economic engine for both the state and local economies. It has the largest payroll of any private employer in the state and is third-largest in number of employees. For Durham County alone, Duke estimates that spending by the university and its students, faculty and visitors has a local annual economic impact of more than $2 billion.

Duke maintains a strong relationship with local government, schools and nonprofits in Durham. Duke, along with NC State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, helped create the Research Triangle Park (RTP), which now boasts more than 140 major high-tech companies and research and development facilities. Three out of four Duke students volunteer in Durham. In 2004, the Duke University Health System provided charity medical care to low-income patients at a cost of $29 million. The award-winning Duke-Durham Neighborhood Partnership improves neighborhoods and schools near campus through tutoring and after-school programs, investments in affordable housing, and the creation of neighborhood health clinics for low-income patients.

For more information about the university, visit the univer­sity’s Web site at www.duke.edu or the university’s annual report at www.yearinreview.duke.edu.

Durham Technical Community College

Durham Technical Community College is another great educational choice in Durham. The college is a great choice for students looking to earn a two-year associate’s degree before tackling the bigger campuses of four-year universities.

Durham Tech has an average class size of just 16, and the cost of tuition is well below other four-year universities, making it an easy choice for students. More than just a transfer school, Durham Technical Community College provides specialized training for corporations in nearby Research Triangle Park. Corporations can also have customized training taught by qualified instructors at Durham Technical Community College.For more information, go to www.durhamtech.org.