Guilford Education Alliance (GEA) was founded by community leadership from throughout Guilford County. Initially funded through collaboration of The Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro, the High Point Community Foundation and the Cemala Foundation, GEA’s base of support has grown to include hundreds of businesses, philanthropic partners and community members. With a focus on advocacy, information and quality community programming, GEA program activities have included an annual Education Summit and Education Matters report, STEM Fellows, Principal for a Day, On Stage!, Education Leadership Academy, community & legislative forums, Rookie & Mentor Teacher of the Year and scholarly reports on Teacher Working Conditions, Youth Risk Behavior, Diversity in our Schools, and School Readiness. GEA also operates the Teacher Supply Warehouse which provides free classroom supplies to Guilford County Schools teachers.
In early 2013 leaders from GEA, and two other community based initiatives, Businesses for Excellence in Education and AchieveGuilford, began meeting with key leaders of Guilford County Schools to discuss closer collaboration between the organizations that could yield greater educational success for the community. By the fall of 2013, the group mapped out a merger of the three that would preserve the strengths of each and provide a more streamlined, focused and high impact organization. Governing bodies of the three organizations endorsed the plan, the intent to merge was announced at the annual Education Summit in November and by the end of December the three came together in a restructuring of GEA.
Bringing the community engagement, program and advocacy strength of GEA together with the strategic funding capacity of BEE and the collective impact initiatives of AchieveGuilford, the updated organization amplifies the work the community can do to provide the strongest opportunity for students to succeed in public education and beyond. Together we can:
- Invest significant resources in strategic GCS initiatives;
- Energize community and business leaders and build a base for advocacy in support of public education, through programs and activities that provide engagement and facilitate understanding;
- Connect business, community and education leaders;
- Mobilize community groups and businesses to focus on activities and programs that help students and teachers achieve educational goals.