Chatham Education Foundation Executive Director Receives the “Power of One” Award

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We’re celebrating Jaime Detzi’s recent recognition as recipient of Chatham County School’s “Power of One” award, thanks to her contributions and leadership through Chatham Reads and the Chatham Education Foundation (CEF).  

Chatham Reads has been a NC Campaign for Grade-Level Reading community, working to ensure that literacy and reading resources are available to all Chatham County residents, since 2017. With more than 15 collaborative members, that include the County Commissioners, the Chatham Chamber of Commerce and UPLIFT Chatham, Chatham Reads’ impact continues to grow. Chatham Reads is co-led by the Chatham County Schools and the CEF.  As the Foundation’s Executive Director for more than nine years, Detzi has been dedicated to its growth and impact, even co-founding the Chatham Reads movement.

Courtesy: Chatham Education Foundation

Honoring Detzi with the Power of One Award, Chatham County Schools Superintendent Dr. Anthony Jackson noted her work to raise funds for several programs, including creative teaching grants to assist teachers with classroom resources, the AVID program, a nationally recognized non-profit college readiness system, and Books on Break

Chatham Reads oversees Books on Break, which is a program providing 2,600 economically disadvantaged elementary school students with 14,000 books each year, just before the end of the school year. In five years, the Chatham Education Foundation has granted the school system $800,000 for district resources. Other Chatham Reads programs supported by the Foundation include: summer learning resources, the Summer Reading Challenge, providing free books to families through eight library boxes located across the county, lending libraries, book drives, Day of the Books and Book Baskets. 

Beyond her Chatham Education Foundation leadership, Detzi has been instrumental in working with the Chatham County Partnership for Children to address students’ ability to access and attend quality pre-k in Chatham County. For a small, yet mighty team of three, including staff Cate House, Marketing Manager, and Kathy Havens, Program Manager for Chatham Reads, they have achieved a great impact. 

“I have been in the education field for over 30 years. Jaime is the most passionate and effective advocate for public school children that I’ve had the privilege to know. Her strength as an advocate lies in her ability to build key relationships and her passion for quality education for all children,” said Havens.

More information can be found in the press release from Chatham County Schools about Detzi’s Power of One Award. 

The North Carolina Early Childhood Foundation leads the NC Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, with a vision where diverse and inclusive communities grow thriving readers, beginning at birth and continuing through third grade, so each child is prepared for success. 

The NC Early Childhood Foundation is driven by a bold – and achievable – vision: Each North Carolina child has a strong foundation for life-long health, education, and well-being supported by a comprehensive, equitable birth-to-eight ecosystem. We build understanding, lead collaboration, and advance policies to ensure each North Carolina child is on track for lifelong success by the end of third grade.