DUNN - The Harnett County Farm Bureau has put its support behind the Central Carolina Works initiative with a $20,000 donation toward the establishment of the program in area high schools.

"The Harnett County Farm Bureau has always supported education for our young people," said Dudley Langdon, Bureau president. "With our support of Central Carolina Works, we are expanding our commitment to students."

Central Carolina Works is a new local educational initiative created by a consortium including Central Carolina Community College, public schools in Chatham, Harnett and Lee counties, businesses, industries, and community leaders. Its goal is to increase greatly the number of high school juniors and seniors taking college classes tuition-free.

Participating students will be dual-enrolled, with course credit applying toward both their high school diploma and a college certificate or degree. By the time they graduate from high school, they will have a jump-start on their career or technical education, or credits that will transfer to a four-year college or university.

"CC Works will save a lot of time for the kids and money for their parents," said Keith Parrish, of Benson, a member of the Farm Bureau's board of directors. "It may motivate a lot of them to stay in school."

North Carolina currently has a Career and College Promise program, allowing high school students to take college courses for credit, tuition-free, but only 5 percent of students in CCCC's service area of Chatham, Harnett and Lee actually take advantage of this opportunity.

CC Works will increase this percentage significantly by funding the placement of Academic and Career Advisors in each of the public high schools in the college's service area to work one-on-one with students to help them in enrolling and succeeding in college courses.

CCCC and its partners in the initiative are currently fundraising to finance the first two years of the program's implementation. After that, the college will pick up the cost through the increase in state funding based on enrollment.

Langdon pointed out that, with the technology required in modern farming, many of the programs students will enroll in through CC Works are applicable to farming, from computers and business courses to welding.

"We greatly appreciate the support and generosity of the Harnett County Farm Bureau," said CCCC President Dr. Bud Marchant. "Working together with like-minded people in agriculture, business and industry, the college and high schools in our tri-county service area can use Central Carolina Works to improve education and opportunities for our youth and the quality of life for all residents."

For more information about Central Carolina Works or to make a donation for the implementation phase, contact Emily Hare, CCCC director for the Foundation and Development, at 919-718-7230 or ehare@cccc.edu.