Temple Sloan
Lee County
Teaching Fellows Program
Sloan Scholars
It all started when…
The Lee County Education Foundation, in 2022, after the COVID-19 pandemic had subsided and ripple effects were being witnessed, recognized that teacher recruitment and retention were a huge challenge, especially in rural counties like Lee. The Board decided to secure funding for a “grown your own” program, one similar to the North Carolina Teaching Fellows program. With the generous help of the Temple Sloan Family Foundation, we now have the beginnings of this program with the introduction of the Temple Sloan Lee County Teaching Fellows awards, or “Sloan Scholars.” Our first Sloan Scholars will be awarded in Spring of 2024. See the press release here.
The Temple Sloan Lee County Teaching Fellows Program is a forgivable loan for up to $36,000 ($4500 per semester x 8 semesters). A program participant is expected to receive his/her teaching certificate utilizing Central Carolina Community College and/or a North Carolina state-supported public university (see list here) and return to Lee County to teach in a Lee County public school (non-charter). For each full semester taught in Lee County, $4500 will be forgiven. After 4 years of teaching in Lee County, a recipient will have fulfilled his/her promise as a TSLCTF program participant and will owe no monies. Our focus is on core academics, therefore core subjects (English, math, science, social studies, foreign language), EC and grades K-5 lead elementary teaching are the areas eligible for fulfilling Sloan Scholar teaching expectations.
Students have 5 years to complete college, receive an NC teaching certificate, and begin teaching in Lee County. If a student withdraws from the program or is unable to teach in Lee County, used monies not repaid through teaching in Lee County will be required to be paid back at 4% interest within 8 years of college completion or program withdrawal. To be eligible to apply, a student must be a high school senior in a Lee County public school and have taken or be currently enrolled in at least one course at CCCC.
The LSLCTF program is created and managed by a partnership that includes the Temple Sloan Foundation, Central Carolina Community College, the Central Carolina Community College Foundation, the Lee County Education Foundation, and Lee County Schools. All monies will be managed and maintained by the Central Carolina Community College Foundation.
This year’s application opens October 1, 2023 and closes February 15, 2024. The two Sloan Scholars will be announced April 30, 2024. All documents required must be properly submitted by midnight on February 15. When open, the link to the application can be found here.
Eligibility Requirements:
1. Student must be a high school senior at Lee Senior High School, Southern Lee High School or Lee Early College who will be graduating in spring 2024.
2. Student must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or greater ( unweighted ).
3. Student must be willing to commit and sign a promissory note agreeing to the terms of the scholarship upon winning the award.
4. Student must be planning to attend CCCC (no other community college is eligible) and/or a NC state-supported public university (See list here).
5. Student must have attended/be currently enrolled in at least one Central Carolina Community College class prior to high school graduation.
6. To fulfill the promissory note, the following areas of teaching are eligible: English, math, science, social studies, foreign language, EC and Grades K-5 lead elementary teaching in an LCS public school (non-charter).