Now More Than Ever: Project Potential provides guidance, coaching, and scholarships
{Project Potential students at their 2021 graduation from Lexington Senior High School. Contributed Photo}
Project Potential was founded in 1994 by local businessman Tim Timberlake and former Lexington City Schools superintendent, Jim Simeon. Their purpose for starting this program was to encourage more students in the Lexington City School System to enroll in a college or university after graduating from high school. As a result of their vision and commitment, Project Potential raised the funds needed to offer partial scholarships to 13 students in 1996.
A Project Potential senior visiting DDCC and the Davidson David Apprenticeship Consortium open house. {Contributed Photo}
Since its inception, the focus of Project Potential has expanded to meet the needs of disadvantaged students at Lexington Senior High School. With the addition of services that provide comprehensive support throughout high school, we are now able to better identify and successfully address many of the obstacles our students face when trying to access higher education. Today we continue to help our participants gain access to and succeed in post-secondary degree, certificate, and apprenticeship programs and increase their career options in North Carolina’s growing economy. According to My Future NC (a statewide non-profit resulting from a collaboration between NC leaders in education, business, and government), “the vast majority of new jobs require more than a high school diploma – something that less than half of North Carolinians ages 25-44, and even fewer from economically disadvantaged backgrounds currently have”.
Project Potential lunch meetings were held outside during the surge in COVID cases this fall. {Contributed Photo}
With funding from the United Way of Davidson County, Project Potential can provide the additional academic support our students need to be prepare themselves for postsecondary education when they graduate from high school. Through this program, they have access to professional tutoring services to help them overcome academic challenges and succeed in more rigorous college preparatory classes. These services are especially beneficial because most of the students we serve do not have parents or relatives who can help them with the advanced courses they are enrolled in. Thankfully with funding from the United Way, our students can now access professional tutors to help them succeed in honors, Advanced Placement (AP), and dual enrollment classes to better prepare themselves for higher education.
During the COVID-19 Pandemic and subsequent transition to virtual school, our tutoring program was expanded to include online services that are now available 24 hours a day. This additional academic support was crucial in helping our students navigate and adjust to an unfamiliar world of online learning. Funding from the United Way also enables Project Potential to effectively help students develop the study skills they will need in high school and beyond.
We are incredibly grateful to be a Partner Agency with the United Way of Davidson County and we sincerely appreciate their strong commitment to education in our community. Funding from the United Way makes it possible for Project Potential to provide our students with educational opportunities they would not otherwise have. These programs provide the crucial support our students need to graduate from high school with the preparedness to enroll and succeed in higher education.
Anna Hayes and Chevon Burton of Project Potential with the United Way Allocation Check. {Contributed Photo}
Project Potential also provides the following services:
-College coaching/mentoring-College admission advising-ACT and SAT Preparation
-College application assistance-College tours-FAFSA support
-Scholarship identification and application support-Personal growth seminars-Community service opportunities-Dorm room necessities
Metrics:
- Over 700 students have been awarded scholarships since 1996
- 100% of Project Potential Students Graduate from high school each year
- 100% are Project Potential seniors are accepted to a college or university each year
Project Potential’s Mission Statement
Project Potential exists to provide guidance, coaching, and scholarships to deserving students in Lexington City Schools, as well as to coordinate activities that cultivate the development of character, integrity, leadership, and scholarship.
To learn more about Project Potential please visit our website at: www.projectpotential.net
