Since its founding in 1999, the Golden LEAF Foundation has awarded over $1 billion in funds to support its mission of increasing economic opportunity in North Carolina’s rural communities.
In February 2024, the Golden LEAF Foundation announced that $10 million in funding would be awarded to projects encouraging job creation, workforce preparedness, economic investment, and agriculture in North Carolina.
Davie County Schools (DCS) was awarded $1.5 million to expand its Career and Technical Education (CTE) facilities at Davie County High School (DCHS), which was the largest award made by the foundation that cycle.
For Davie County Schools, the grant represents an incredible opportunity to enhance educational opportunities for students and align their skills with the needs of local industry.
Fostering Industry Skills at Davie County High School
The grant will fund the construction of a standalone building adjacent to DCHS’s current advanced manufacturing facilities. The new facility will be approximately 7,000 square feet and include instructional space for each grade level. It will complement the existing CTE building, which houses classes such as carpentry and masonry.
The new facility will enable the school to introduce new equipment and expand class offerings, providing students with more diverse and advanced learning opportunities. It will help them combat the current waitlist students see for some CTE courses.
Anthony Davis, former director of the DCS CTE department, expressed his excitement about the grant award.
“The Davie County public school system is a phenomenal place to meet the needs of all students. Our job in CTE is to prepare students for their after-high school plans, whether they go into the military, to community college, to a four-year university, or straight into the workforce,” shared Davis.
“One of the things we try to do in CTE is be responsive to the needs of our community. As we talk to our advanced manufacturing partners, we’re told that there’s a need for machinists, there’s a need for mechatronics, there’s a need for engineers.,” he noted. “So this facility will meet the need not only of our students, but of our businesses and advanced manufacturers in the community.”
State-of-the-Art Equipment
One highlight of the new facility will be the state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment it will house. It will include three Haas computer numerically controlled (CNC) machines and up to four manual milling machines, which will be donated by Davidson-Davie Community College (DDCC).
The building will also offer other fabrication, material processing, and post-processing equipment. While the high school already has a plasma cutting machine in-house, it is considering purchasing a water-jet cutting machine and two mobile welding booths, as well.
“The community college graciously agreed to donate some of their machines to us, so we’re very thankful for that,” Davis shared. “When we started the Golden LEAF application, the community college had already committed machines to us, so we knew once the building was in place, we could actually start to use it on day one. That was huge.”
This collaboration extends to DDCC instructors planning to teach machining classes on-site, offering high school students the chance to earn college credits and industry-recognized certifications without leaving the DCHS campus. This collaboration underscores the strong relationship between the school district and DDCC, benefiting both students and the community.
Anticipated outcomes include students earning additional industry credentials like Certified Production Technician (CPT) certifications and completing OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) courses. The department also hopes to increase the number of high school internships in advanced manufacturing from trade and industry pathways by 5% annually over a five-year period.
“I’m excited about the training these students are going to receive. Students are going to be exposed to things in advanced manufacturing and machining most students at the high school level are not exposed to,” Anthony highlighted.
Davie High has already been recognized by the NC Education Superintendent and US Senatorial members as the model for Career and Technical Education in North Carolina. With this expansion, DCS will be one of two facilities in the state to offer Advanced Manufacturing on a high school campus.
“This expansion offers them the ability to get industry-recognized credentials. Some of the credentials our students will leave Davie High with are credentials that adults only obtain once in the workforce.”
Additional CTE course offerings may even incentivize graduation rates. While DCHS’s overall graduation rate was around 89% for the 2023-2024 academic school year, CTE concentrators at the high school held a 98% graduation rate.
Innovative and Flexible Learning Environments
The new CTE building will also feature a makerspace-style classroom designed to foster creativity and hands-on learning. This flexible space will be available to all teachers and departments, promoting interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation. It will include mobile tables, access to recycled materials, and potentially 3D printing machines, providing an adaptable environment for diverse activities and projects.
“The wonderful thing about this space is the flexibility we’re offering. Our mechatronics, robotics, and engineering pathways will be the primary users of this building, but there are no set classes that will be in this space 100% of the time, Davis explained.
“We’re very adamant that any teacher in the school can reserve or use the makerspace. That goes back to our intention to be more interdisciplinary. So if you have a CTE teacher working together with a science teacher on a project, they can go to the makerspace and the classes can work together.”
Breaking Ground
Plans are in place to break ground on the new building by early 2025, with a targeted construction timeline of about one year. The goal is to have students using the new facility by the fall semester of 2026, with a possibility of early access in the spring of 2026.
At its June 4, 2024 meeting, the DCS Board of Education reviewed and approved the proposal for architectural and engineering services to design the new advanced manufacturing lab at DCHS.
Davie County Schools recommended contracting with Michael Graves. The total anticipated project budget is $1.5 million, with subcontractor bidding to begin in November and December.
High school students can anticipate grading and concrete work on campus to mark the initial phases of construction beginning in January 2025.
Room for Growth
With the $1.5 million in Golden LEAF funding secured, additional funding is being sought to fully realize the vision for the new CTE building.
Any machinery, equipment, and material costs will come out of the CTE budget, as the Golden LEAF funds are specifically designated for new building design and construction.
Discussions are ongoing with local businesses and potential donors to secure the extra funds needed to expand the building’s footprint and capabilities. This approach allows for future scalability, enabling further expansion as the school’s needs evolve.
A Bright Future for Davie County Students
Davie County is setting a new standard in preparing students for successful futures. The Golden LEAF grant is a testament to Davie County’s commitment to providing top-notch education and career preparation for its students, making this grant an exciting milestone for the entire community.
For Davie County Schools, this expansion is not just about building new facilities; it’s about equipping Davie County students with the skills they need to thrive.
