Charlotte, known as “The Queen City,” is located in the southwestern part of North Carolina. Charlotte is close to the border of South Carolina and is just a three-hour drive to the beaches of the Carolinas in the east and two hours to the scenic Appalachian Mountains in the west.
| Quick Stats |
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| Site Since: 2004 |
| Corps Size: 125 |
| Average yearly temperature: 60.1 ° |
| Car: Access to car is essential |
Salary: See cost of living  |
Charlotte is the 20th largest city in the United States and it is the largest city between Washington, D.C. and Atlanta, Georgia. Like Atlanta, it is often cited as one of the true jewels of the "New South." The area has experienced tremendous growth in the past 25 years. The uptown region is filled with skyscrapers and new construction sites surrounded by quaint neighborhoods and diverse shops and restaurants.
Corps members find living in Charlotte very enjoyable. Whether they crave the hustle and bustle of urban living or the slow, peaceful setting of the suburbs, corps members can find the perfect mix here.
In 2007, BET.com rated Charlotte the number one city for black families based on factors including income, crime rates, unemployment, poverty rates, and cost of living and noted it is "undergoing a whirlwind of growth." Similarly, Money magazine rated Charlotte one of the top 10 places to live in America, and Black Enterprise magazine named Charlotte one of the top 10 places for African-Americans to live, work, and play. In terms of entertainment, Charlotte's culture represents a full spectrum of interests, from the quiet charm and fine artwork of the Mint Museum to the roaring crowds of the NFL's Carolina Panthers. Charlotte's social calendar is filled with sidewalk dining, happy hours, theater performances, professional sports games, outdoor festivals, and concerts.
Though Teach For America has placed corps members in rural sections of North Carolina for 17 years, 2004 was the charter year for Teach For America in Charlotte. Now in our fourth year, the Charlotte corps has embraced the students of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School system, the 22nd largest district in the country. Although Charlotte is regarded as the financial center of North Carolina, many parts of the city are in tremendous economic and educational need. Corps members are placed in Charlotte-Mecklenburg’s high-need FOCUS schools with other corps members or alumni.
During Charlotte's first three years as a Teach For America placement site, corps members have had a profound and immediate impact upon their students' academic achievement. Charlotte’s corps members continue to persevere and are eager to produce even more dramatic academic results for their students. Charlotte corps members foster and maintain close relationships by gathering monthly in school teams and content and grade-specific collaborative learning groups, attending targeted professional development workshops, and enjoying organized social activities. These gatherings help corps members establish a support network which provides them with valuable guidance when confronting the challenges of teaching in low-income areas. Local Teach For America alumni also assist corps members by presenting workshops in their areas of expertise and by sharing their teaching strategies and experience. Program directors provide individualized support by observing corps members in their classrooms and holding one-on-one meetings several times a year.
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