An charity dedicated to improving outcomes for families on Charlotte’s west side is ready to expand its efforts with a new $1 million gift.
RenWest has announced a $1 million contribution from the Howard R. Levine Foundation to support its Educational Pipeline Initiative.
RenWest strives to combat intergenerational poverty by offering comprehensive support to families living in the Little Rock and Renassance areas on West Boulevard. The organization’s website states that its aim is “to promote a collaborative community centered on quality housing, education, health, wellness, and opportunity.”
RenWest CEO William “Mack” McDonald told QCity Metro that the investment will support the company’s “entire education portfolio,” which includes its child development center, PreK-8 school, Renaissance West STEAM Academy, and other programs such as the upcoming Career Club for Teens.
He thanked the foundation for its donation and mentioned the long-standing connection, which he said had aided RenWest’s community-driven efforts.
In 2016, the Levine Foundation donated $1 million to RenWest, which helped support a $15 million campaign to build and maintain the Howard Levine Child Development Center (HLCDC). The facility provides early education to children aged birth to five years old.
McDonald stated that the Education Pipeline Initiative’s goal is to “increase investment in education” in the RenWest neighborhood.
“One of the most effective ways to combat poverty is high-quality education,” he told QCity Metro. “This donation will help our work in those areas.”
McDonald explained that RenWest’s strategy of assisting the community from inside is based on the Purpose Build Communities methodology, which has been shown to improve community outcomes. The strategy integrates affordable housing, wellness, educational opportunities, and economic mobility through community-based partnerships and services.
McDonald added that many parts of the RenWest community, including its PreK-8 public school, show evidence of the method’s efficiency.
“The school had been a struggling school, but over the last three years, we’ve really turned that around,” stated the principal. He went on to say that the school was “one of the worst in the state” but had improved to one of the top 30 in terms of academic growth.
In 2023, WFAE reported that the school was rated 29th in North Carolina for growth.
The latest grant from the Levine Foundation will assist offset some of the funds that McDonald claims the school lost as it progressed.
“We’ve grown significantly, which is excellent. “It’s no longer a failing school, but you do lose some of that ‘failing school’ support,” he explained. “That’s a tragic circumstance of progress.”
He told QCity Metro that the organization intends to utilize some of the funds to reward high-quality instructors and bring other resources back to the school.
Another $1 million will be used to start the RenWest Career Club, a teen-focused initiative. McDonald stated that the program will primarily serve high school students, providing career exploration, industry mentoring, internships, and soft skills training to help young people explore and prepare for life after high school, whether it be higher education or direct entry into the workforce.
“The Levine foundation has been an incredible supporter, and we’re excited about what their support will mean for our community,” McDonald told me. “It will help us continue to bring services to the neighbors in our community instead of having them leave for support.”