IMPORTANT DATES

September 30, 2024: Orientation / Meeting 1

December 2, 2024: Meeting 2 + Bus Tour

March 2, 2024: Meeting 3

June 2024: Program Capstone and Youth Leadership Summit

About LEAD Ambassadors

The Leaders for Equity, Advocacy and Diversity (LEAD) in Education Ambassador program creates opportunities for students in Mecklenburg County to develop as leaders who are informed and empowered to act locally at their schools and at the district level as well as to come together with other student leaders across the district. The LEAD ambassador program will be an interactive, engaging and educational series with goals to increase participant knowledge of education equity issues, introduce racial equity and social justice lenses to change-making, expose participants to education policy as a career and those who practice it and offer a small stipend/grant to kickstart change. 

Selection

Selection for the LEAD Ambassador program is competitive and limited to 12 student participants. We encourage you to familiarize yourself with the selection process and to complete all forms thoroughly and on time. 

Ambassadors will be accepted based on exemplary teamwork and leadership skills, positive recommendations, preparedness, etc. Students will be notified via phone or email on September 18. 

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis through December 2023.

Location

Student participants will attend in-person workshops and excursions throughout the city of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County

Stipend / Grant

Student participants will be eligible to receive a $500 stipend for their successful completion of the yearlong LEAD Ambassador program. Completion of programmatic elements (including meeting attendance and project design/execution) is linked to stipend disbursement. 

Recommendations 

The recommendation must be submitted by one personal reference but not a family member (e.g., Guidance Counselor, Teacher, Principal, Employer, Mentor, Community Leader, Peer etc.) 

CREED’s Mission 

Through research, coalition building, and technical assistance, the Center for Racial Equity in Education (CREED) works to close opportunity gaps for all children in P-20 education, especially children of color, with the vision that one day race will no longer be the primary predictor of educational outcomes.