RWCI was honored to welcome U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Ben Carson M.D., to Renaissance West Community Initiative (RWCI) on January 7, 2020. 

Secretary Carson was hosted by Enlivian, formerly the Charlotte Housing Authority, and Renaissance was chosen as the location for one of his stops and a press conference. 

Upon his arrival on a rainy morning, Secretary Carson entered Renaissance West STEAM Academy (RWSA) and was greeted by Principal Stacy Clark, the CEO or RWCI, Mack McDonald, and other staff members from CMS, RWCI and Enlivian.  Carson toured the Belk Literacy Intervention lab to watch three small table groups of students working with teachers as they practiced sounding out words.  Then, Carson joined a STEM class, both of which are part of the Purpose Built Schools model proven to education children from challenging backgrounds in East Lake in Atlanta, GA.

After making a stop in Ms. Graham’s 5th grade classroom, imparting wisdom on the students, Secretary Carson toured the Howard Levine Child Development Center (HLCDC).  RWCI Senior Associate Program Officer, Jackie Tynan, explained that the HLCDC is the “tip of the spear” for RWCI’s cradle-to-career education continuum

Secretary Carson concluded his visit at the Dr. John T. Crawford Community Center, located in the heart of the Renaissance neighborhood, where he hosted a press conference.  In his comments, Secretary Carson was complimentary of RWCI’s educational offerings and wraparound services in the neighborhood.