THIS MONTH: Adaptability, Resilience on Display as North Carolina Families, Educators Celebrate School Choice Week Safely

Tar Heel State Parents Find New Ways to Celebrate Learning, Support Opportunity for All

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Jan 15, 2021, 04:30 ET

RALEIGH, N.C., Jan. 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In the midst of a school year like no other, North Carolina families and educators are gearing up to safely spotlight education options during School Choice Week 2021.

North Carolina families, schools, and organizations are hosting 1,352 virtual or at-home celebrations during the Week. Among the most exciting of these will be the announcement of the winners of a statewide K-12 student art contest, who will be featured on social media throughout the Week. Additionally, North Carolina charter school families will share videos about their choice during the Week using the Storyvine app.

Taking place annually since 2011, School Choice Week is America's largest celebration of educational choice. While typically the Week is packed with large, in-person events, school choice advocates have adapted to this year's health and safety protocols, opting for drive through scavenger hunts, virtual information sessions and showcases, online contests, drive-in movie screenings, and more.

Across the country, more than two dozen iconic U.S. landmarks and notable buildings will light up in special colors to mark the Week. In North Carolina, the Wells Fargo Duke Energy Center in Charlotte will light up in red and yellow from 5 a.m. to sunrise and from sunset to 11:59 p.m. on Jan. 24. The Kimpton Cardinal Hotel in Winston-Salem will light up in red from sunset to sunrise on Jan. 24.

A growing number of communities have issued proclamations recognizing School Choice Week, including the North Carolina county of Alexander and the cities of Creedmoor, Greenville, Kernersville, Fuquay-Varina, Franklinville, and Sunset Beach.

"North Carolina educators and families are innovators," said Andrew Campanella, president of National School Choice Week. "They have created a variety of educational options to suit different families' needs. This National School Choice Week, we celebrate those options and encourage communities to do even more to increase options, so that every family can reap the benefit of an inspiring education."

In North Carolina, there are a variety of educational options available including: traditional public schools, charter schools, magnet schools, online academies, private schools, and homeschooling. North Carolina students with disabilities, or whose families meet certain income criteria, can qualify for state-run scholarships.

North Carolina families will be raising awareness about these choices at their virtual celebrations, which make up some of the more than 33,000 planned nationwide to spotlight K-12 education options.

To download a guide to North Carolina school choice, use the Schools Near Me tool to search for schools in your area, or see celebration photos and proclamation updates, visit schoolchoiceweek.com/north-carolina.

National School Choice Week is an independent public awareness effort; the Week is nonpartisan, nonpolitical, and not related to any legislative advocacy campaign.

Select local celebrants are available to discuss their plans with reporters upon request.

National School Choice Week shines a spotlight on effective education options for children and is the world's largest celebration of opportunity in K-12 education. The Week is a not-for-profit effort that focuses equally on traditional public, charter, magnet, online, private, and home education options. Every January, participants plan tens of thousands of events and activities to raise awareness about school choice across all 50 states. Year-round, National School Choice Week develops resources and guides to assist families searching for schools or learning environments for their children.

SOURCE National School Choice Week