Carrboro High Hosts Group from Dominican Republic

An international-CHCCS connection that’s now in its fifth year celebrated a new chapter in December as 15 students and staff from the Julian Javier High School in the Dominican Republic spent a week with families and teachers from Carrboro High. Each day was packed with activity, food and conversations in Spanish and English. Alejandra Castillo, a junior at Carrboro High said, “Not only did the students have fun, but the parents and staff also danced, sang, and laughed along with everyone. We had fun the whole time they were here, taking pictures and sharing stories. It was an amazing experience I’ll never forget.”

During the summer of 2013, several Carrboro High students traveled to the Dominican Republic with Transcending Borders of the Global Leadership Institute. One of those students was Leah Simon, who now attends UNC, and the trip ignited her passion and commitment to the culture and the people they met. When she and the other students returned to school, they began planning various projects and fundraising efforts, under the guidance - and with tireless energy - from teacher John Hite. Dr. LaVerne Mattocks, principal at the time, offered her enthusiastic support as the core group built bridges with the community of Tenares in Hermanas Mirabal Province.

So far, the collaboration-exchange between Carrboro High and Hermanas Mirabel has yielded a mural project (and two vivid murals at the school), as well as a major drive for funds and boots-on-the-ground support of a water project at La Cumbre, a small village that had no access to clean water. In recent years, Carrboro High students and their families have raised tens of thousands of dollars for La Cumbre and Tenares, and each year, new students join this ongoing endeavor. Current principal Beverly Rudolph has picked up where Dr. Mattocks left off, providing assistance to ensure that each undertaking runs as smoothly as possible. John Hite led nine Carrboro students on the most recent trip to the Dominican Republic during the summer of 2016.   

The December exchange that brought 15 Dominicans here had been in the works for some time, but plans were scrambled by the succession of powerful hurricanes in 2017. Throughout the months of delays and complications, Hite stayed focused on making sure the exchange could take place. “There were so many moving parts, I had to make sure it all fit together.” 

Teachers Angela McChesney and Nathalie Gaut also pitched in with a group of students. The hundreds of collective hours paid off in an enriching and entertaining experience for both the Dominicans and the Carrboro High community alike.    

Students and their parents hosted visitors, as did McChesney and Gaut. The itinerary was packed between the group’s arrival and departure from RDU: a UNC basketball game, bowling, trips to the Ackland Museum, the Bennett Place and the Planetarium. Karl Naomi, a Carrboro High senior, said, “They loved Chapel Hill and saw a lot of different things than what they have in their country. Just something as simple as leaves falling off the trees and even a little snow was really cool for them to see.”     

The Dominican group, with their student hosts, also toured the campuses of UNC and Duke, courtesy of former Jaguars who’d been involved in earlier exchanges and fundraising: Leah Abrams at Duke, and Leah Simon and Kristen Lee at UNC.      

But the Dominicans also spent plenty of time at Carrboro High during the week, going to classes and other in-school events, as well as attending both a breakfast and lunch hosted by Youth Leadership Institute students. Senior Stephanie Lopez of YLI said, “I learned new things from their culture and what the education system is like in the Dominican Republic and it was a great experience!” On the final day of the exchange, most of the Carrboro High student body gathered during lunch in the Cafe Commons to share songs and dances from both cultures. The Dominican students performed a traditional dance, in full regalia, and a number of Carrboro High students offered their talents as well.           

The parents of the visiting students expressed their gratitude in emails to Hite after their children had returned home. One father wrote, “More than grateful for that great experience my son has lived. You who welcomed them and treated them so well from North Carolina-- thanks to you, students, teachers, professors and high school director. Thank you very much, it was unforgettable for our children.”


“I am from Peru, but I grew up here and so I felt like I wasn't really connected to my Latino side,” said Alejandra Castillo. “I feel like being with them has awakened (that). Having them here not only brought me closer to people from a different culture, but also to other people from the Carrboro High School community. I can hardly wait for future exchanges between Carrboro High School and Liceo Julian Javier!”

read more "Carrboro High Hosts Group from Dominican Republic"

YLI Students on MLK National Day of Service

Blue Ribbon Youth Leadership Institute (YLI) students served with the United Way of the Greater Triangle as part of the MLK National Day of service. The purpose of the "Community Reads" program is to increase childhood literacy (K-3) through reading. YLI students participated in group readings and skill enhancing activities through the Scrap Exchange. Sixteen students dedicated their morning of service and education for youth in our community. In the afternoon, students volunteered in Durham for Book Harvest. Students organized a book drive for communities that do not have access to high quality books.

Thank you to our students and their leaders for setting a great example of service. 

"Everyone can be great because everyone can serve." - MLK

read more "YLI Students on MLK National Day of Service"

Pen Pals!

Literacy, Learning and Leadership
Carrboro High School Youth Leadership and Mary Scroggs After School Adventures Program

The Blue Ribbon Youth Leadership Institute students at Carrboro High School became pen pals with Mary Scroggs After School Adventures Program students.  After School Adventures is the result of a Public School Foundation grant awarded to Shelby White and Susan Jullian, designed to assist second grade students with literacy, math and writing.  The pen pal program was initiated by After School Adventures to help students with writing.  Fifteen second grade students wrote letters to 15 Blue Ribbon Youth Leadership (YLI) Carrboro High School students.  The first letter was an introduction in which students shared basic information and hobbies.  The high school students responded to the letters.  There were three exchanges of letters during the spring semester.  The exchange experience was a real motivator for the second graders. Susan Jullian reported that a shy student wrote three sentences in his introductory letter.  The last letter he wrote was an entire page!  

The pen pal project concluded recently with a surprise visit from the high school pen pals.  An after school celebration provided students an opportunity to meet their pen pals, play games and have refreshments. The students were elated to meet the pen pals!

The Blue Ribbon Youth Leadership (YLI) seeks to provide high school students with leadership skills in their community to be advocates for change.  This was a great opportunity for students to implement their leadership skills with integrity and compassion.  YLI students at Carrboro High School meet twice a month during lunch and participate in a local service-learning project.

read more "Pen Pals!"

BRMA Honors Mentors During National Mentoring Month

 Blue Ribbon Mentor-Advocate (BRMA) recently celebrated National Mentoring Month with a Mentor Appreciation Event. More than 60 participants, including mentors, mentees and their families, participated in the Thank You Dinner.

BRMA is a Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools support program designed to improve the achievement of students of color. The program provides students with the adult support they need in the form of a mentor-advocate to attain their personal and academic potential. The mentor-advocate plays a dual role, establishing a meaningful relationship with the young person as well as promoting the child’s success in school by working as an advocate in conjunction with the child’s family and school personnel.

The Mentor Appreciation Event was a way to thank these mentor-advocates for all their hard work and dedication to the students in the program. A BRMA sixth-grader from McDougle Middle School played "Ode to Joy" on her violin, while three Phillips Middle School students read poems honoring all BRMA mentors.

Mentors were overwhelmed with the outpouring of love from the families they have bonded with over the years. Mentor Mike Nowicki said his wife was brought to tears when she read a card he received from his mentee.

National Mentoring Month celebrates and honors the importance of quality mentoring programs such as BRMA and the role that mentors fill.

read more "BRMA Honors Mentors During National Mentoring Month"

Week of Action

Students representing MSAN (Multicultural Student Achievement Network) and CORe (Changing Our Reality every day) recently
joined Dignity In School's Week of Action with the goal of bringing awareness to the national issue of school pushout.

Students at Carrboro High School participated in a student survey about bullying, student code of conduct and positive ways to reduce suspensions.

Suggested strategies include:

  * Use positive interventions instead of suspensions, expulsions or arrest and end racial disparities in discipline;
  * Fully implement positive alternatives such as SWPBIS (School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports) and Restorative Practice;
  * Engage students and parents in decision-making about discipline policies.

read more "Week of Action"

Meyer takes on new role for CHCCS

The Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools have appointed Graig Meyer to the new position of Director of Student Equity and Volunteer Services. Meyer has been the coordinator of the district’s Blue Ribbon Mentor-Advocate (BRMA) program since 1998. In this new role, he will continue to oversee BRMA and the district’s new Parent University program.  Upon the retirement of veteran administrator Mary Bushnell later this fall, Meyer will oversee the Office of Volunteers and Partners for Education.  The position also formalizes Meyer’s leadership responsibilities for the district’s racial equity initiative.

As part of the equity leadership, Meyer will develop, implement and monitor district programs and processes that promote and sustain diversity and equity throughout the district.  He will also supervise the implementation of district diversity and equity workshops, presentations, learning opportunities and other strategies to help promote diversity.  Meyer will provide coaching and help design and deliver workshops.  He will also work with school personnel and outside agencies to assess the effectiveness of district equity programs.

"The Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools are pleased and excited about promoting Graig Meyer to a leadership position where he will be able to optimize his expertise and skills in the areas of equity and volunteerism," said Superintendent Thomas A. Forcella.  "It is our hope if we are able to forge strong relationships in the areas of equity, volunteerism and our current focus on classroom instruction, then we will be able to realize significant gains in reducing the achievement gap."

Under Meyer's leadership, the BRMA program has been acknowledged for excellence at local, state and national levels. The BRMA program has grown to serve over 200 students each year through its mentoring program, the Youth Leadership Institute (YLI), and tutorial programming at the Hargraves Community Center.  Meyer has worked to generate over $1 million in grant and donor-based funding for the BRMA mentoring programs and over $400,000 for student scholarship funds.  BRMA has a 95 percent high school graduation rate and has sent 100 percent of its high school graduates on to post-secondary education.

Meyer is also a national presenter on mentoring and racial identity.  Earlier this summer, he was a keynote speaker at the 2012 School Innovation Improvement Summit, where he also received an Education Innovation Award by the School Improvement Network.  Meyer and BRMA are also featured in a new edition of Bonnie Davis’ groundbreaking book, How to Teach Students Who Don’t Look Like You.

Meyer holds a bachelor's degree in Sociology and Anthropology from the College of Wooster in Wooster, OH, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa.  He also holds a master's degree in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago.  Meyer also received a William C. Friday Fellowship for Human Relations through the Wildacres Leadership Initiative.

Back to CHCCS website

read more "Meyer takes on new role for CHCCS"