Student Showcase to Celebrate Newly Expanded School Scholarship

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Jan 16, 2024, 09:00 ET

Celebration to feature student performances, special appearance from Stormy the Ice Hog

RALEIGH, N.C., Jan. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Thanks to the historic expansion of the Opportunity Scholarship, North Carolina students have a new chance to find success in school. Join families in celebrating the scholarship and learning how to apply at a student showcase on Wednesday, Jan. 24.

Hosted by Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina, the celebratory event will take place 10 a.m. to noon at Halifax Mall, behind the North Carolina Legislative Building. All are welcome to attend and show their enthusiasm for the state-run private school scholarship. North Carolina's budget, passed in 2023, made every K-12 student in the state eligible to apply for the Opportunity Scholarship.

The event will kick off with a student performance of the national anthem, followed by remarks from Rep. Tricia Ann Cotham and Sen. Michael Lee on school choice in North Carolina and the new opportunities for students. More student-led songs, a performance of the official School Choice Week dance, and a surprise guest appearance from Stormy the Ice Hog, the mascot of the Carolina Hurricanes, will add to the fun. Student performances will come from The School of Hope (Fayetteville), Cornerstone Christian Academy (Statesville), and Wake Christian Academy (Raleigh). Following the showcase celebration, families can tour the legislative building.

The showcase is planned to coincide with the celebration of National School Choice Week (Jan. 21-27, 2024), which will feature tens of thousands of school choice celebrations across all 50 states. In North Carolina, more than 800 events and activities will take place.

"The accomplishments made in expanding school choice show that the popularity for it is larger than ever. This movement continues to thrive more and more by the passionate parents, school leaders, and legislators, and that is certainly something to celebrate," says Mike Long, president of Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina. "That is what National School Choice Week is all about. To celebrate children and their families being able to find the best possible educational option for them."

This event is organized by Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina. Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina is a non-profit organization that advocates for quality educational options through parental school choice.

Halifax Mall is located at 300 N. Salisbury St. in Raleigh.

National School Choice Week (NSCW) informs, inspires, and empowers parents to discover the K-12 education options available for their children, including traditional public, charter, magnet, online, private, and homeschooling. Every January, tens of thousands of schools, organizations, and individuals plan unique events and activities to shine a positive spotlight on effective education options in their communities. The Week is a project of the nonpartisan, nonpolitical National School Choice Awareness Foundation.

SOURCE National School Choice Week