Wake County Programs Spotlight Student Growth, Career Skills, and Community Connection
Presentations included two community-based programs and one internal initiative that are helping students develop life skills, explore career paths, and strengthen family involvement in education.
Raleigh, NC, Jun. 16, 2025 — At its June 10 meeting, the Wake County Community Engagement Committee members heard presentations from two community-based programs and one internal initiative that are helping students develop life skills, explore career paths, and strengthen family involvement in education. The session also included an update on a student recognition effort with potential to expand across the district.
Give Back Organization: Providing Pathways, Purpose, and Parent Support
Founded in 2003 by Ronneil Robinson, the Give Back Organization presented a suite of programs designed to support vulnerable students, particularly in Southeast Raleigh, through academic enrichment, career exploration, mental health services, and family engagement.
Robinson detailed the origins of Games Over Gangs, a youth coding and game design program developed in partnership with the Raleigh Police Department and North Carolina State University. The program helps steer students away from gang activity by introducing them to STEM fields through hands-on video game creation. “We created the program… so they could put their feelings inside of [the games],” Robinson said, recounting a participant’s powerful trivia game based on his own life experiences.
Over time, Give Back has expanded into a broader platform including:
Scholar Excel: A dual-campus experience at UNC and NC State focused on STEM exposure and career development.
PACE: A family-focused program where both students and parents gain workforce education. For example, a parent might train as a dental lab assistant while their child explores the field of dentistry.
Learn to Earn: A financial literacy course requiring parent-student participation, emphasizing saving, budgeting, and understanding money as a tool.
Mental health services are embedded into the programs through a partnership with Mentor Raising Mentors Behavioral Health Services, led by CEO and Founder Jhazmere Preston. Students receive weekly sessions to address burnout, emotional intelligence, and trauma-informed strategies. Family therapy and parental coaching are also offered.
Give Back currently serves 30 students per year and is working to expand its impact through partnerships with Wake Tech and other organizations. “Our measure of outcomes is just trying to enroll more students and help them get to where they need to be,” Robinson said.
District C’s Teamship: A Reimagined Internship Model with Real-World Impact
District C, an educational nonprofit, shared the impressive growth of its Teamship program—a short-term team-based internship alternative where high school students solve real business problems. Since launching its partnership with Wake County Public Schools in 2022, the program has grown from 26 to a projected 341 students for summer 2025.
Senior Program Manager Karen Cho explained the program’s model: students are grouped into diverse teams and paired with local businesses to tackle challenges. Over the course of 30 hours, students are coached—not lectured—through a collaborative, problem-solving process.
“Gabrielle,” one student, exemplified the program’s impact. Once shy and reluctant to speak, she helped her team present solutions to the U.S. Army Recruitment Office. Her mother, attending the final pitch, said she would remember that moment forever.
Teamship’s “snowball effect” has led to:
Representation from all 31 Wake County high schools
Partnerships with 27 businesses, including Biogen, Red Hat, and local startups
170 additional internship experiences embedded during the school year through certified educator-coaches
Although the internships are unpaid, business partners report genuine value from the students’ contributions. One company, Tri-Street & Co., hired a student on the spot after a pitch presentation.
Cho noted the district’s role in expanding access: “Having teachers at each school doing the recruiting has been key to reaching more students.”
Some board members raised equity concerns around compensation, noting that unpaid roles may limit participation for students who need summer income. Still, many emphasized the value of the learning experience and supported exploring stipends as a future option.
Spotlight on Students: Recognizing Resilience
Rounding out the meeting, Dr. Norfleet and Dr. Pettiford provided an update on the Spotlight on Students initiative, which honors students in grades 3–12 for their personal and academic achievements, particularly those who demonstrate confidence, strength, and perseverance in the face of adversity.
Every school in the district can nominate students for recognition, and the committee discussed aligning on a districtwide strategy for the 2025–2026 school year to elevate and broaden the program’s impact.
Committee Calls for Stronger Outreach and Access
Across all presentations, a recurring theme emerged: how to ensure that students and families are aware of these programs. Committee members advocated for the district to compile and share resources through school counselors, printed guides, and on-campus outreach.
“If we’ve gotten participation on this level, how many other families would join in if they just knew where to go?” one member asked. “Students shouldn’t have to call their board member for help finding a scholarship.”
All presenters and programs received enthusiastic support, with the committee expressing a strong desire to expand partnerships that strengthen student engagement, career exploration, and family empowerment.
📬 Program Contact Information
🎮 Give Back Organization
Website: givebacknc.org
Contact: Ronneil Robinson, Founder
📧 info@givebacknc.org
🧠 Mentor Raising Mentors Behavioral Health Services
Website: mentorraisingmentors.org
Contact: Jhazmere Preston, CEO & Founder
📧 info@mentorraisingmentors.org
💼 District C – Teamship Program
Website: districtc.co/wake
District Contact: Kimberly MacDonald, WCPSS Teamship Coordinator
📧 kmmacdonald@wcpss.net | 📞 (919) 694‑8130 ext. 35007
District C Contact: Karen Cho, Senior Programs Manager
📧 info@districtc.co
🌟 WCPSS Spotlight on Students
Website: wcpss.net/Page/18849
District Contact: Dr. Janelle Norfleet (via WCPSS Office)
📞 (919) 431‑7400 | 🌐 wcpss.net