8thannual celebrity chef events scheduled for February 9 and 10, 2023
Wilmington, NC – August 9, 2022 – Beacon Education, the nonprofit foundation committed to equitable access to high quality education, has announced plans for its 8th Annual Celebrity Chef Events on February 9 and 10, 2023. Emeril Lagasse and Rachael Ray will be the featured celebrity chefs for the foundation’s full schedule of events, including an intimate, limited-seating dinner on February 9, a gourmet breakfast and a four-course luncheon on February 10. The dinner will be hosted at a private residence with the breakfast and luncheon held at Landfall Country Club. Beacon Education, formerly GLOW NC and supporting the Girls Leadership Academy of Wilmington, has broadened its mission to provide earlier and more equitable access to high quality education. The foundation is working to open Spark Academy, the first of several co-ed and mixed-income early childhood education centers, in Summer 2023. The celebrity chef events will support both GLOW Academy and Spark Academy.
This will be Emeril Lagasse’s fourth visit to Wilmington and the first for Rachael Ray. Chef Lagasse, a longtime friend of GLOW Academy Founder Judy Girard, was the first celebrity chef to headline the culinary events for GLOW in 2015, prior to the school’s opening in 2016. Chef Lagasse inspired GLOW Academy’s robust culinary curriculum and the Emeril Lagasse Foundation recently contributed to an expansion of that program, provisioning a middle school classroom for teaching foundational kitchen prep, safety and cooking skills. Rachael Ray, a winner of three Daytime Emmy Awards, hosts the syndicated daily talk and lifestyle show Rachael Ray, and the Food Network series 30 Minute Meals. In 2007, she launched Yum-o!®, a nonprofit organization that empowers kids and their families to develop healthy relationships with food and cooking.
In the years since Chef Lagasse’s first GLOW appearance, Giada DeLaurentiis, Guy Fieri, Tyler Florence, Robert Irvine and Ashley Christensen have led the culinary line up. For more information about sponsorships, contact Beacon Education Development Director Andrea Carter at acarter@beaconeducation.org.
ABOUT GLOW ACADEMY:
The Girls Leadership Academy of Wilmington is North Carolina's only single gender public charter school. The school opened in August, 2016, with its inaugural sixth grade class, adding a new sixth grade each successive academic year. With a focus on providing a single-sex educational choice for students from predominately underserved communities who are often the first in their families to attend college, the 6th thru 12th grade school is part of a nationwide network of 19 groundbreaking and successful single-gender schools. This Young Women’s Leadership Network is guided by a proven educational model
focused on academic rigor, personal responsibility, leadership and college preparedness. At GLOW Academy, she will: graduate, go to college and succeed in life. For more information about GLOW Academy, visit www.glowacademy.net or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/GlowAcademy1/
ABOUT SPARK ACADEMY Spark Academy, opening in July, 2023, will be the first of several early childhood education schools providing high quality programming for children six weeks through pre-kindergarten. The co-ed, mixed income program will offer sliding scale scholarships for families in need and provide proven, high-quality educational programming to draw families with financial means. Each center will accommodate approximately 150 students and have a community healthcare clinic onsite. For more information visit https://sparkacademync.com/
Chef Lagasse will visit GLOW campus to unveil sign bearing Foundation’s name on February 9, 11:00 AM
Tickets still available for Breakfast with Emeril Lagasse and Rachael Ray, Feb 10
Wilmington, NC – January 25, 2023 -- The Emeril Lagasse Foundation has granted the Girls Leadership Academy of Wilmington, GLOW Academy, $500 thousand to support the school’s culinary classroom and curriculum. The gift officially names GLOW’s expansive teaching kitchen the Emeril Lagasse Foundation Culinary Lab and will cover the costs of culinary faculty, food costs and operations for three years. GLOW’s culinary lab is built as a commercial kitchen, allowing students to learn essential culinary skills, kitchen management, menu planning and food preparation. Chef Lagasse will visit the campus on February 9 at 11:00 AM to unveil a new sign bearing the Foundation’s name.
On February 10th, he, together with Rachael Ray, will appear at the annual GLOW Chef Event, featuring the two celebrities. Tickets for breakfast are $250 and include a champagne breakfast and theater style seating for the culinary demonstration, fireside chat and Q & A with Chefs Lagasse, Ray and the students.
“Alden (Chef Lagasse’s wife) and I are so excited for our foundation to invest in the culinary lab at GLOW and to support the vision of our longtime friend Judy Girard,” said Chef Lagasse. The gift reflects Chef Lagasse’s continued engagement with the school and his devotion to Ms. Girard, GLOW Academy founder and president of the Food Network from 1994 to 2004. Earlier this year the Emeril Lagasse Foundation gave $40,000 to GLOW for transitioning a middle school classroom into one that supports an introduction to GLOW’s robust culinary program.
Chef Lagasse was the first celebrity chef to host what have become well-established fundraisers for GLOW, each featuring a Food Network star.
"There is so much need to reach kids outside of the traditional classroom. When young people learn to prepare meals for themselves and their families, they gain independence and self-confidence --important skills no matter what they do in life,” said Brian Kish, president of the Emeril Lagasse Foundation.
Todd Godbey, president and CEO of Beacon Education, GLOW’s supporting foundation added, “Like so many things related to GLOW, our culinary program grew organically in a way that we never planned. Emeril’s generosity and involvement in our first major fundraiser set the tone for a what has become a signature program on campus and in the community. We are humbled by his support and legacy.”
About Emeril Lagasse Foundation: Founded in 2002 by Chef Emeril Lagasse and his wife Alden, Emeril Lagasse Foundation is a 501c(3) public charity headquartered in New Orleans. The Foundation's mission is to create opportunities to inspire, mentor and enable youth to reach their full potential through culinary, nutrition, and arts education with a focus on life skills development. Since its inception, Emeril Lagasse Foundation has granted more than $18.5 million to children's charities to support culinary, nutrition, and arts programs. The Foundation accomplishes this through three programs. The Community Grants program provides program and capital support to nonprofit organizations across the nation. The signature program, Emeril’s Culinary Garden & Teaching Kitchen, is a national education initiative created to enrich the lives of elementary and middle school children through a fun, fresh perspective on food. The Aarón Sánchez Impact Fund, the newest program, will provide culinary arts education and human services programming for Latino youth.
ABOUT GLOW ACADEMY: The Girls Leadership Academy of Wilmington is North Carolina's only single gender public charter school. The school opened in August 2016, with its inaugural sixth grade class, adding a new sixth grade each successive academic year. With a focus on providing a single-sex educational choice for students from predominately underserved communities who are often the first in their families to attend college, the 6th thru 12th grade school is part of a nationwide network of 21 groundbreaking and successful single-gender schools. This Young Women’s Leadership Network is guided by a proven educational model focused on academic rigor, personal responsibility, leadership and college preparedness. At GLOW Academy, she will: graduate, go to college and succeed in life. For more information about GLOW Academy, visit www.glowacademy.net or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/GlowAcademy1/
2023 marks first graduating class for North Carolina’s only single gender charter school
Wilmington, NC – January 12, 2023 -- The first graduating class of the Girls Leadership Academy of Wilmington, GLOW Academy, has set a high bar for North Carolina’s only single gender charter school earning $1.7 million, and counting, in merit scholarships. The achievement, announced today at the school’s inaugural senior breakfast, was celebrated as an important measure of success for the school that opened in 2016 with a mission to provide a rigorous college preparatory curriculum for students from diverse backgrounds who are generally the first in their family to attend college. Seventy-two percent of GLOW’s Class of 2023, most of whom started at GLOW in the 6th grade, are first generation college attendees. The event was attended by GLOW’s senior class, GLOW Founder Judy Girard, GLOW faculty, student families, and supporters of the school. The announcement was made by Jahleese Hadley, GLOW Academy’s Director of College Access.
“The vision for GLOW has always been ‘She will graduate, go to college and succeed in life’,” said Ms. Hadley. “Our students have worked so hard; this is a tremendous moment and measure of their commitment and potential. We are so proud of them.” Ms. Hadley leads GLOW’s College Access program which includes college tours, visits from college admissions counselors, and one-on-one guidance throughout the middle and high school years to help students build a competitive college application. Importantly, GLOW’s College Access staff will continue to connect with graduates and offer support to assure social, emotional and academic achievement into their college years.
Financial need-based scholarships are still to be awarded; GLOW Academy’s enrollment is weighted for underserved communities, so this figure will be important for determining college attendance. Other measures of achievement thus far for GLOW’s Class of 2023 include:
OPEN ENROLLMENT NOW
GLOW Academy is now accepting applications for the 2023-2024 school year, for rising sixth through ninth grades. A free summer leadership camp will be available for a limited number of rising fifth grade girls in June. Breakfast, lunch, snacks and transportation are provided for free for GLOW Academy and its summer leadership camp. For more information about school enrollment or summer camp applications, visit glowacademy.net or call 910-338-5258.
ABOUT GLOW ACADEMY: The Girls Leadership Academy of Wilmington is North Carolina's only single gender public charter school. The school opened in August 2016, with its inaugural sixth grade class, adding a new sixth grade each successive academic year. With a focus on providing a single-sex educational choice for students from predominately underserved communities who are often the first in their families to attend college, the 6th thru 12th grade school is part of a nationwide network of 21 groundbreaking and successful single-gender schools. This Young Women’s Leadership Network is guided by a proven educational model focused on academic rigor, personal responsibility, leadership and college preparedness. At GLOW Academy, she will: graduate, go to college and succeed in life. For more information about GLOW Academy, visit www.glowacademy.net or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/GlowAcademy1/
Wilmington, NC – June 21, 2021 – Ken Lowe, a founding donor to the Girls Leadership Academy of Wilmington, GLOW Academy, announced on Friday night a donation of $1 million to name a wing of the school after his 92-year-old mother, Barbara Love Lowe. Mr. Lowe, a former colleague and longtime friend of GLOW Academy Founder Judy Girard, acknowledged his mother’s “lifetime of caregiving through nursing in her rural community and then on to a second chapter of management in the banking industry,” as he made the gift to North Carolina’s only single gender charter school. The $1 million will support GLOW’s mission and names a wing of the school Lowe Hall in her honor. The donation was made as the school hosted its sixth annual Celebrity Chef Event, featuring Chef Robert Irvine, host of the Food Network’s Restaurant Impossible series, Chef Ashley Christensen, a two-time James Beard award winner from Raleigh, and included video and Zoom visits by Chefs Emeril Lagasse and Tyler Florence, respectively. More than 500 guests, including Mr. Lowe’s mother and family, attended the event which was hosted on GLOW Academy’s campus.
“I have admired the mission of GLOW Academy since my friend Judy Girard first committed to its founding in 2015. I have seen how these girls are thriving and are so enthusiastically supported by the Wilmington community,” Mr. Lowe said. “It is truly my privilege to honor my mother’s personal determination and commitment to education by naming a wing of GLOW Academy Lowe Hall.”Mr. Lowe also made a contribution to name a GLOW Academy classroom in memory of Dr. Steve Martin, a mentor to him and Ms. Girard during their years together at Scripps Network.
“Ken Lowe has always been a supporter of women and recognizes their value to any endeavor chosen. His mother obviously instilled in him those values which will now get passed on to every GLOW student thanks to Ken’s generous donation,” said Ms. Girard.
ABOUT GLOW ACADEMY:
The Girls Leadership Academy of Wilmington is North Carolina's only single gender public charter school. The school opened in August, 2016, with its inaugural sixth grade class, adding a new sixth grade each successive academic year. The first class of students will graduate in the 2022/23 academic year. With a focus on providing a single-sex educational choice for students from predominately underserved communities who are often the first in their families to attend college, the 6th thru 12th grade school is part of a nationwide network of 16 groundbreaking and successful single-gender schools. This Young Women’s Leadership Network is guided by a proven educational model focused on academic rigor, personal responsibility, leadership and college preparedness. At GLOW Academy, she will: graduate, go to college and succeed in life. For more information about GLOW Academy, visit www.glowacademy.net or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/GlowAcademy1/
80+ professional women to engage with GLOW students
Wednesday, February 23, 8:30 AM to Noon
On Wednesday, February 23, from 8:30 AM to Noon, GLOW Academy is hosting its 5th Cool Women Hot Jobs. This annual program offers GLOW students opportunities to engage with and learn from women who have pursued all-manner of career paths. GLOW Academy is North Carolina’s only single-gender public charter school, offering girls from diverse backgrounds a middle and high school curriculum that focuses on academic rigor, personal responsibility, leadership and college preparedness.
Some 80+ local women will visit GLOW classrooms, circulating through small groups and allowing students to have quality one-on-one encounters with professional women who have pursued careers in technology, pharmaceutical science, professional services, media and communications, healthcare, law enforcement, film production, public services and government, entrepreneurship and more. The encounters are largely random, allowing students to be introduced to fields they might never have considered.
ABOUT GLOW ACADEMY
The Girls Leadership Academy of Wilmington, GLOW Academy, is one of 21 groundbreaking single-gender schools across the country that follow a proven educational model developed for girls from predominantly underserved communities who are often the first in their families to attend college. The sixth through twelfth grade school opened in 2016 with its inaugural sixth grade class which will graduate in the 2022/23 academic year.
WHAT: 5th Annual Cool Women Hot Jobs
WHEN: Wednesday, February 23, 2022, 8:30 to Noon
WHERE: GLOW Academy, 4100 Sunglow Drive, Wilmington
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Margee Herring
Wilmington, NC -- February 8, 2019 -- GLOW Academy today announced it will name a building on its new middle and high school campus Gibson Hall honoring tennis legend Althea Gibson. GLOW Academy will move to its new and permanent campus at the start of the next school year. Currently under construction, the GLOW campus will have four buildings: an administrative building, middle school, high school and media center. It is not yet determined which building will be named Gibson Hall. The campus is near Maides Park and will eventually serve some 700 middle and high school students when it reaches full enrollment in the 2022/23 academic year.
Althea Gibson moved to Wilmington in 1946 to attend Williston High School and train privately with Dr. Hubert A. Eaton who served as her tennis coach. She went on to become the first African-American to win Wimbledon, the French Open, the Australian Doubles and the US Open in the late 1950’s. Her remarkable tennis career yielded nearly 100 professional titles including five Grand Slam crowns.
GLOW Academy students have previously honored Althea Gibson by lobbying the United States Tennis Association to erect a statue in her honor in Flushing Meadows, the home of the US Open. Led by their tennis instructor, Lenny Simpson of One Love Tennis, the girls learned about Ms. Gibson’s local history and athletic accomplishments and wrote letters to the USTA urging consideration of a statue in her honor. In February, 2018, the USTA informed the students that their letters made an impact and that a statue honoring Althea Gibson will be unveiled at the 2019 US Open.
ABOUT GLOW ACADEMY
The Girls Leadership Academy of Wilmington is North Carolina's only single gender public charter school. With a focus on closing the achievement and opportunity gaps among low income families, the 6th thru 12th grade school is part of a nationwide network of 18 groundbreaking and successful single-gender schools. This Young Women’s Leadership Network is guided by a proven educational model focused on academic rigor, personal responsibility, leadership and college preparedness. At GLOW Academy, she will: graduate, go to college and succeed in life.
4100 Sunglow Drive, Wilmington, NC 28405
info@beaconeducation.org
910.338.5258 x105