Carteret County Public School

About the Organization

Organization category

Public Charity

Mission

At Carteret Education Foundation (formerly Carteret County Public School Foundation), our mission is to enhance the quality of education and programs available to our educators and students through our three main areas of focus: INNOVATION, INTERVENTION AND INVESTMENT

Programs or services

Professional Development
Scholarships
Legacy Funds
Crisis Assistance
Housing Support
Mental Health

Detailed programs

Carteret Education Foundation strengthens Carteret County Public Schools by funding gaps not covered by federal, state, or local funding. Serving approximately 7,500 students and 1,200 educators, the Foundation invests in programs that remove barriers to learning, support educator excellence, expand student opportunity, and strengthen the long-term future of public education in Carteret County.

The Foundation’s work is organized around three core areas: Innovation, Intervention, and Investment.

Through Intervention, the Foundation operates its Crisis Assistance Program, a 15-year districtwide support program that helps students, families, and educators during times of hardship. The program addresses urgent needs such as housing instability, homelessness, food insecurity, transportation barriers, medical hardship, disaster displacement, and other crises that can disrupt learning and stability. Requests are typically identified by school counselors, social workers, administrators, or district partners, allowing support to be delivered with dignity, accountability, and care.

Through Investment, the Foundation supports educators and future educators. This includes professional development grants, National Board Certification support, teacher recruitment and retention efforts, and the Big Rock Teaching Fellows Scholarship, which helps local students pursue teaching degrees and return to serve in Carteret County Public Schools. These programs strengthen classrooms today while helping build the future educator workforce.

Through Innovation, the Foundation funds classroom, school, and districtwide opportunities that enhance learning beyond what traditional public funding can provide. This may include instructional resources, career pathway support, CTE access, enrichment opportunities, and programs that help students explore future careers and build real-world skills.

CEF is funded through individual donors, business partners, grants, employee giving, legacy gifts, endowments, sponsorships, and community campaigns. Funds are stewarded carefully, with support often paid directly to vendors, institutions, or approved providers to ensure accountability and charitable purpose.

Overall, Carteret Education Foundation helps students stay stable, educators grow professionally, schools access needed resources, and the community invest in the future of public education. Its programs work together to preserve normalcy, dignity, and hope while creating stronger schools and greater opportunity across Carteret County.

Target Audience

Beaufort; Morehead City; Atlantic; Harkers Island; Smyrna; Newport; Bogue; Atlantic Beach; Emerald Isle; Cape Carteret; Cedar Point; public school staff and public school students

Geographic Focus

Carteret County, NC

Current projects

Professional Development, Crisis Preparedness, Crisis Assistance, Mini Grants for Classrooms, STEM Funding, Grant Writing for Capital Projects, Future Teacher Scholarships

Organization goals

Short-Term Goals:
Strengthen and expand core programs that remove barriers to learning, including crisis assistance, educator grants, student support, workforce access, and professional development. Build stronger systems for referrals, documentation, reporting, donor stewardship, and community partnerships.

Long-Term Goals:
Create sustainable funding and long-term impact through legacy giving, endowments, teacher recruitment and retention, expanded student opportunity, and districtwide support systems that strengthen Carteret County Public Schools for future generations.

Leadership

Carteret Education Foundation is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors made up of community leaders, business professionals, educators, and school district representatives. Board Executive Leadership includes Perry Harker, Board Chair; Bucky Oliver, Vice Chair; Brad Piner, Treasurer; Jennifer Perryman, Secretary/Chief Communications Officer and CCPS Liaison. The Foundation’s day-to-day operations is led by Erica Jones, Executive Director.

Strategic priorities

Carteret Education Foundation Strategic Priorities

1. Remove Barriers to Learning
Strengthen and expand crisis assistance, student support, and wraparound services that address housing instability, food insecurity, transportation barriers, medical hardship, disaster displacement, and other urgent needs affecting student success.

2. Invest in Educator Excellence
Grow professional development funding, National Board Certification support, teacher grants, and retention-focused initiatives that strengthen classroom instruction and support Carteret County educators.

3. Build the Future Educator Pipeline
Expand the Big Rock Teaching Fellows Scholarship, teacher recruitment efforts, housing stipends, and pathways that encourage local students to return and teach in Carteret County Public Schools.

4. Expand Student Opportunity and Workforce Readiness
Support CTE access, certifications, trade scholarships, career-connected learning, and programs that prepare students for college, careers, and economic mobility.

5. Strengthen Systems, Sustainability, and Impact
Build stronger internal systems for referrals, documentation, reporting, donor stewardship, grant management, and measurable outcomes so the Foundation can grow responsibly.

6. Grow Community Investment in Public Education
Increase business partnerships, employee giving, legacy gifts, endowments, grants, and donor engagement to create long-term sustainable support for Carteret County Public Schools.

Funding & Grant Guidelines

Funding priorities

Removing barriers to learning in and outside the classroom
Educator Professional Development
Teacher Pipeline Development
Grants and support for educators

Geographic funding areas

Carteret County, NC

Typical grant size

$500-$25,000

Typical number of grants given in a cycle

20

Eligibility requirements

Must attend or work for Carteret County Public Schools

Grant application process

Applications are available through school counselors for students and through Principals or supervisors for educators and staff. Applications for Professional Development Grants are on our website

Restrictions / what you do not fund

What Carteret Education Foundation Does Not Fund

Carteret Education Foundation generally does not fund:

Individual requests made directly by families or students
Crisis assistance must come through approved school-based referral partners such as counselors, social workers, administrators, or district staff.

Requests outside Carteret County Public Schools
CEF supports students, educators, schools, and programs connected to Carteret County Public Schools.

Political, religious, or advocacy activities
CEF does not fund political campaigns, lobbying efforts, religious instruction, or activities that promote a specific faith or political position.

General personal expenses unrelated to school stability or learning
Support must connect to removing a barrier to learning, educator stability, school participation, or student/family crisis.

Programs or purchases that do not align with CEF’s mission
Requests must support public education, student opportunity, educator excellence, crisis assistance, workforce access, or districtwide school needs.

Fundraising events for outside organizations
CEF funds are intended for direct mission-aligned impact, not external fundraising campaigns.

Requests that duplicate existing public funding or services when another appropriate source is available
CEF helps fill gaps, not replace federal, state, local, or district funding.

Items that cannot be documented or verified
CEF prioritizes accountability and may require documentation, vendor information, or school-based confirmation before funding.

Payments that create an ongoing obligation without a sustainability plan
CEF may help stabilize a crisis, but it generally does not take on open-ended recurring expenses.

Support that benefits only one individual without a clear charitable or educational purpose
Even when helping one student, family, or staff member, the request must align with CEF’s charitable mission and barrier-removal purpose.

Program officer contacts

Jennifer Perryman
Erica Jones

Funding Needs

Funding needs

$50,000 for Professional Development
$200,000 for Mental Health
$100,000 for Crisis Disaster Preparedness
$50,000 for Food Security
$100,000 for operating and expansion expenses

Impact & Recognition

Outcomes and impact

Outcomes and Impact

Carteret Education Foundation measures impact by how effectively our programs remove barriers to learning, strengthen educators, expand student opportunity, and support the long-term success of Carteret County Public Schools.

Student and Family Stability
Through the Crisis Assistance Program, CEF helps students and families facing housing instability, homelessness, food insecurity, transportation barriers, medical hardship, disaster displacement, and financial crisis. The outcome is greater stability, improved school attendance, reduced disruption, and support delivered with dignity during moments of hardship.

Educator Excellence and Retention
CEF invests in professional development, National Board Certification, and educator grants that strengthen classroom instruction and support teacher retention. Recent professional development funding supported 57 educators with $93,595 in grants, including 47 first-time National Board Certification candidates. National Board Certification also provides a 12% salary increase for certified teachers, creating lasting financial and professional impact.

Teacher Pipeline Development
Through the Big Rock Teaching Fellows Scholarship and related teacher support programs, CEF helps local students pursue education degrees and return to teach in Carteret County Public Schools. This builds a future educator workforce rooted in the local community.

Workforce and Career Readiness
CEF supports student access to CTE, certifications, trade pathways, and career-connected learning. These investments help students graduate with skills, credentials, and pathways toward employment and economic mobility.

Districtwide Educational Support
CEF funds classroom, school, and districtwide needs that public funding cannot fully cover. These investments expand access to learning opportunities, innovation, enrichment, and student support across Carteret County Public Schools.

Community Impact
Since its founding, CEF has invested more than $3 million into public education. Serving approximately 7,500 students and 1,200 educators, the Foundation helps ensure that local schools, families, and educators have the support needed to move from crisis to stability and from adequate resources to expanded opportunity.

Overall Impact Statement
CEF’s impact is measured in barriers removed, educators strengthened, students stabilized, and opportunities created. Our programs preserve normalcy, dignity, and hope while building a stronger future for Carteret County Public Schools.

Success stories

Success Story: Strengthening Educators, Multiplying Impact

This year, Carteret Education Foundation awarded 57 professional development grants totaling $93,595 to Carteret County Public School educators. These grants included support for 47 first-time National Board Certification candidates, 4 renewal candidates, and 6 additional professional development opportunities.

The impact reaches far beyond the individual educator. Each grant helps strengthen classroom instruction, increase teacher effectiveness, support retention, and expand opportunities for students across the district. For teachers pursuing National Board Certification, the investment also creates a lasting financial benefit: once certified, North Carolina teachers receive a 12% salary increase, helping reward excellence and encourage talented educators to remain in the profession.

Professional development funding is one of the most powerful investments the Foundation can make. By removing the financial barrier for educators, Carteret Education Foundation helps teachers grow, classrooms improve, students benefit, and the entire school district become stronger over time.

Organization achievements

CEF has invested more than $3 million back into schools, funding programs, grants, scholarships, crisis assistance, educator development, and student support across Carteret County Public Schools.

Recent grants awarded

Crisis Assistance / Staff & Student Assistance Fund — Approximately $70,000 annually
Provides emergency and stabilizing support for CCPS students, families, and staff facing hardship, including housing instability, food insecurity, transportation barriers, medical hardship, fire loss, disaster displacement, and other urgent needs. Impact: helps preserve attendance, stability, dignity, and continuity of learning during crisis.

Professional Development Grants — $93,595
Supported 57 educator grants, including 47 first-time National Board Certification candidates, 4 renewals, and 6 additional professional development opportunities. Impact: strengthens teacher effectiveness, improves classroom instruction, and supports educator retention.

Student & Family Crisis Cases — More than $31,000 distributed across 62 cases/families
Provided direct support through school-based referrals for students and families experiencing urgent hardship. Impact: removed immediate barriers to learning and helped stabilize students so they could remain connected to school.

Big Rock Teaching Fellows Scholarships — Multiple annual scholarships awarded
Supports local high school seniors pursuing teaching degrees with a commitment to return and teach in Carteret County Public Schools. Impact: builds a local teacher pipeline and addresses long-term educator recruitment and retention.

Big Rock Teaching Fellows Expansion Scholarship — Awarded to Carteret Community College Education Pathway student
Expanded support to a student already pursuing education through Carteret Community College. Impact: strengthens alternative teacher pipeline access and supports local students already moving toward the classroom.

First-Year Teacher / Returning Fellow Support — $500 classroom grant awarded
Recognized a Big Rock Teaching Fellow graduate entering the classroom in Carteret County Public Schools. Impact: supports a new teacher with classroom startup resources and reinforces the Foundation’s full-circle investment in future educators.

Student Trade / Workforce Scholarship Support — Amount varies by donor award
Supports students pursuing trade, technical, or workforce training pathways. Impact: expands access to career-connected education and helps students move toward employment, certification, and financial stability.

Lunch Debt Relief — More than $6,000 granted
Helped address student meal debt and food-related school barriers. Impact: reduces shame and financial burden connected to school meals and supports student dignity.

Certifications / Workforce Access Support — Approximately $7,000
Supported student or educator access to certifications and training connected to workforce readiness.

Major funders

Big Rock Foundation
Duke Energy

Partnerships & Collaborations

Carteret County Public School System
Primary district partner, including school leadership, counselors, social workers, teachers, administrators, and district staff who help identify needs, submit referrals, and implement programs.

Carteret County Board of Education / District Leadership
Strategic alignment, program coordination, school system priorities, and districtwide support.

Big Rock Foundation
Major partner for the Big Rock Teaching Fellows Scholarship, Big Rock Teacher’s Fund, educator support, and long-term teacher pipeline development.

Carteret Community College
Partner in teacher pipeline pathways, workforce readiness, CTE access, and postsecondary opportunities for students.

Atlantic Wealth / Greg Patterson
Investment and endowment management partner supporting the Foundation’s long-term sustainability and legacy giving funds.

Educational Passages
Partner for hands-on STEM and ocean-learning opportunities, including the mini boat launch connected to Big Rock Education Day.

Local Businesses and Corporate Partners
Support through sponsorships, program funding, employee giving, workforce connections, and community investment. Examples include Dogwood State Bank, Guanavista, Plain Jane’s Cleaning, and other local business supporters.

Community Service Providers
Partners who help support students and families facing hardship, including agencies connected to housing stability, food security, mental health, transportation, crisis response, and disaster recovery.

Donors and Legacy Fund Families
Individual donors and families who establish named funds, scholarships, endowments, and legacy gifts to support students, educators, schools, and areas of greatest need.

School Counselors, Social Workers, and Administrators
Essential referral partners for the Crisis Assistance Program and student/family support efforts.

Local Workforce and Trade Partners
Businesses, employers, and training partners that help expand student a

Website & Social Media