In Cleveland County, we believe the adage, “Children are the future.”  To ensure our future is bright, education is a priority in the community. 

The Cleveland County School System has 17,600 students making it the twenty-third largest district in the state. Students attend 28 different schools including 16 elementary, two intermediate, four middle and four high schools, a school for special needs students, and an alternative school.

All of our public schools strive to be the best academically and athletically.  Special programs are offered for academically gifted students as well as those that need an extra boost.  All of the schools have had great success in athletics, including state championships in baseball, basketball, football, golf, swimming, track, tennis, volleyball, and wrestling.

Our educators have the benefit of incredible support from the business community. The JobReady Partnership is a collaborative effort between the school system, the Cleveland County Chamber, Cleveland Community College, and business and industry.  The program strives to make school relevant for young people as it relates to an eventual career. JobReady consists of a job-shadowing program for middle and high school students, a career fair for the county’s eighth grade students, as well as other opportunities for school-work connections.  The program has been nationally recognized as an outstanding school and business partnership.  The College Tech Prep Program uses technology courses to prepare high school students planning to enter the work force or a technical school upon graduation.

The Arts in Education Program, co-sponsored by Cleveland County Arts Council, brings a series of touring and exhibiting artists to many of the schools each year.  The county is also fortunate to have numerous special programs to benefit at-risk children.  Those include Communities in Schools, Youth Assistance Program, Boys and Girls Club, and several branches of the YMCA.

Higher Education
Not many counties can boast two exceptional higher education institutions. Both Cleveland Community College, a public, comprehensive, two-year institution, and Gardner-Webb University, a private, Christian university, are located in the county.

Cleveland Community College
Cleveland Community College is dedicated to serving the higher education and training needs of the citizens of Cleveland County and the surrounding area.  CCC, founded in 1965, is part of the nationally-recognized North Carolina Community College System.  The College serves over 10,000 students each year in both curriculum and continuing education programs.

CCC offers a diverse set of programs designed to meet the needs of all citizens of Cleveland County.  The College provides students wishing to transfer to a four-year college or university the opportunity to obtain an associate of arts or associate in science degree.  Students completing these degrees are guaranteed entrance as a junior at any of North Carolina’s 16 public institutions and many of the private colleges. In addition to the college transfer programs, CCC offers the associate in applied science degree, with 28 technical specialty areas, providing career education to students and a skilled labor pool to local employers. One-year diploma and certificate programs provide educational training in a variety of areas including auto body repair, machining, basic law enforcement training, and numerous construction trades.  Allied health programs include associate degree nursing (RN), radiography, practical nursing (LPN), surgical technology and phlebotomy.

Students as young as 16 years of age can begin taking advantage of the courses offered by Cleveland Community College through the Huskins Bill and Dual Enrollment programs.  Both of these programs, offered in cooperation with the public schools, are tuition free.

Continuing education programs include occupational courses designed to meet the needs of industry and business in Cleveland County.  Several industries have taken the opportunity to partner with the College with new industry training, expanded industry training, and focused industrial training.  These programs, offered in conjunction with the State of North Carolina, are a key component in the county’s economic development.

Cleveland Community College is proud to be the institution authorized to train all professionals and volunteers charged with public safety.  All law enforcement, firefighters, and rescue personnel receive curriculum and continuing education at the College.  CCC is home to one of the finest Emergency Training Centers in the region and was the first in the state to be named an Advanced EMS Education Institution.

The Small Business Center, located at CCC, offers seminars and individual counseling on all areas of owning and operating a small business.  Cleveland Community College also offers adult literacy programs including GED preparation, Adult High School, and English as a Second Language. 

Gardner-Webb University
Gardner-Webb has established itself as one of the elite Christian universities nationwide for its commitment to academic excellence, character development, and service. The University’s academic programs have been recognized for quality in the U.S. News and World Report’s Guide to America’s Best Colleges.  Gardner-Webb has garnered particular national attention for the way in which classroom learning is combined with community engagement.  Gardner-Webb has consistently been included in the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, and was named to the Carnegie Foundation’s prestigious Community Engagement Classification, becoming one of only 311 institutions nationwide to have earned that distinction.  Gardner-Webb was also awarded the North American Mission Board’s (NAMB) Courts Redford Award for being one of the top 10 universities in the U.S. for mobilizing student missionaries through the NAMB.

Gardner-Webb boasts one of the region’s most stellar faculties, many of whom hold graduate degrees from places like Duke, Harvard, and Emory.  Nearly 80% of the full-time faculty members hold the Ph.D. or equivalent, and the faculty-student ratio is 1:13, ensuring that classes remain small and that students receive personal attention from experts in their fields.  Through the new Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, faculty members actively pursue excellence in their teaching as well as their scholarship.

The University offers associate, bachelor, master, and doctorate degree programs, including the new Doctor of Nursing Practice program (2010) and the combined Master of Divinity – Master of Arts in Religion program (2011).  There are also a host of certificate courses for non-degree seeking students offered through the GWU School of Divinity’s Center for Congregational Enrichment and the Godbold School of Business. 

Gardner-Webb’s campus in Boiling Springs offers a variety of venues for public use, including the beautiful Lake Hollifield Complex, the unique Williams Observatory, and the Broyhill Adventure Course, complete with a climbing wall, an Alpine adventure tower, and a zip-line.  The community also enjoys a variety of arts performances throughout the year, including theatrical presentations, rock operas, concerts, art shows, and even movie screenings.

The Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs 20 intercollegiate athletic teams compete on the NCAA Division I level as proud members of the Big South Conference. The University has recently built and renovated a host of athletics facilities, including the Spangler Stadium football complex, a new wrestling center, and the new John Henry Moss Baseball Stadium.  The campus also features a large intramural field complex for recreational use by students and members of the community.