Donor-Advised Fund Establishers Gift $250,000 to Waves Edge Village School in Corolla

Water’s Edge Village School in Corolla (WEVS) and the Outer Banks Community Foundation (OBCF) are proud to announce that Corolla residents Wayne and Betty Evans pledged $250,000 to help WEVS (a K-8 charter school) build an additional schoolhouse adjacent its current location in the historic village. The tuition-free school, founded in 2012 and guided by a mission to incorporate whole child development with an emphasis on project-based, hand-on learning, has grown from 15 to 43 students. The new building will accommodate current need and future growth by providing an additional three classrooms, a community room, a resource room, and a teacher’s office.

WEVS publicly launched its capital campaign on Tuesday, April 12 during a celebration at the historic 1890s schoolhouse. The campaign’s goal is to raise $1.35M. Betty Evans said, “It’s motivational and inspirational to do something good for a child. Years ago we spent a lot of time at Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh. There was a plaque next to the elevator that said something like, ‘It doesn’t matter how big your house is or what kind of car you drive, what will matter is if you made a difference in the life of a child.’ And I think this school can make a difference in the lives of many children, so let’s build this school!”

With the momentum generated by the Evans’ pledge from their donor-advised fund (held here at Outer Banks Community Foundation), along with a $10,000 grant from the Community Foundation’s Community Enrichment grant program, the school hopes to inspire community support for the project. Community engagement is particularly necessary because local and state governments may not contribute to the campaign due to the school’s charter status. Wayne Evans said, “This is what we can do for Corolla. One hundred years ago there were people who did this same thing. And I hope 100 years from now that building still is still working for the community.” The new classrooms will expand the school’s campus – younger students will still have classes in the old schoolhouse.

Contributions to the capital campaign can be made on the school’s website or by mailing payments to PO Box 215, Corolla NC 27927. Please notify board president Meghan Agresto with any questions about the WEVS capital campaign.