Education | F. M. Kirby Foundation

Student U

The F. M. Kirby Foundation is pleased to celebrate 10 years of continuous partnership with Student U, a community organization in Durham, North Carolina that uses the power of education, advocacy, and leadership to build a more just and equitable Durham community.

Student U endeavors to empower and equip first-generation college students in Durham Public Schools. Since its founding, Student U has grown from serving 50 middle school students to serving 550 from 6th grade through college graduation annually, plus their families and educators. They do this with a full-time staff of over 20 professionals, over 100 educators and part-time staff, and over 100 volunteers annually. Major programs include the Middle School and High School Summer Academy, College Advising, tutoring and academic remediation during the school year, and robust student and family support services. As of January 2023, 100% of Student U students from the classes of 2014-2022 graduated from high school and 90% of students who are active in programming enroll in college, a post-secondary institution, or the military within their first year after high school. Fifty-three students (and counting!) have graduated from college. The overall 6-year graduation rate of Student U college students is 53%, compared to the national 6-year graduation rate of 11% for low-income, first-generation students graduating in 6 years. The success of Student U college students shows that Student U’s interventions make a real different in the lives of its students and families. Student U’s efforts go beyond its own students and their families, touching the 32,000 students in Durham Public Schools through trainings and teacher education. In 2022, Student U introduced a new curriculum focusing on academic success and identity development for its Summer Academy students, increased opportunities for family engagement with workshops focusing on parenting and financial literacy, and welcomed new leaders dedicated to Student U’s mission to their team.

In 2017, Student U purchased the historic W. G. Pearson Elementary School building in the Hayti -area of Durham. Access to the Pearson Center has not only allowed Student U to enhance and expand its programming but has also allowed Student U to become a true community space. In this new home, Student U is preparing to undergo an exciting new project: the renovation of the Pearson Center’s kitchen into a commercial-grade commissary kitchen to feed students and local families and provide culinary career pathways for Durham entrepreneurs. The kitchen will utilize the existing Student U community garden to provide fresh produce and will have the potential to distribute produce to the community through a weekly Farmer’s Market. This new kitchen will allow Student U to uplift its community by increasing healthy food accessibility and security in this area of Durham, while also supporting budding local entrepreneurs. The F. M. Kirby Foundation is proud to support Student U’s mission and the exciting opportunities that this new initiative at the Pearson Center may bring.

The F. M. Kirby Foundation believes in the ability of increased educational opportunities for learners of all ages and backgrounds to aid in the creation of more diverse and self-sufficient communities. From ensuring that educational opportunities from preschool to college are financially equitable, to supporting literacy and STEM initiatives that bolster educational experiences throughout a student’s lifetime, the Foundation is proud to support a broad range of services that strengthen community educational development in geographic areas of interest. Descriptions of the major funding interests within Education are listed below.

Family Alma Mater Support/Familial School Interests

These organizations are supported because they are a family members’ alma mater institution, or schools in which family members or Directors have a special interest, whether for geographic or personal reasons.

Equitable Educational Access & School Choice

Organizations or programs in this category are dedicated to increasing educational opportunities for underrepresented groups, at any age. Included in this category are institutions that advocate for an increase in students’ educational opportunities in the form of charter schools, college preparatory schools, or early childhood education.

Special Education & Educational Support Services

Grantees in this category include programs promoting increased literacy or STEM education as complementary to a student’s standard education, as well as programs that focus on non-traditional formats or non-traditional students.

Civics & History Education

Programs, whether serving small communities or nationally, which focus on increasing civics and history education, whether by means of providing that education themselves or supporting civics discourse and opportunities.

Programs Fostering Entrepreneurship

Whether in the forms of awards or education, these grantees support and aid in developing entrepreneurship, regardless of age.

Family Alma Mater Support/Familial School Interests

Equitable Educational Access & School Choice

Special Education & Educational Support Services

Civics & History Education

Programs Fostering Entrepreneurship

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