Our Grantees & Partners

Great Schools NC Awards Founder’s Fellowship to Chéla Wallace

Great Schools North Carolina (GSNC) is pleased to announce a $50,000 investment through our Founder's Fellowship to support Chéla Wallace in designing her school model and preparing her charter application for the Solace Rose Innovation Academy. With more than 18 years of experience in STEM education, Chéla is bringing her expertise and personal ties to Guilford County, where she plans to launch a K–8 all-girls STEAM charter school that prioritizes academic excellence, leadership development, and social justice.

As GSNC’s inaugural Founder's Fellow, Chéla will receive early-stage funding and targeted support to advance her school design, build community partnerships, and prepare a strong charter application for submission in 2026. Her vision for Solace Rose reflects the values at the heart of GSNC’s mission: to bring scale and quality to the charter sector by investing in forward-thinking education leaders.

The Founder's Fellowship is one way GSNC fulfills that mission by identifying and equipping visionary leaders with the resources, mentorship, and technical support they need to launch innovative public charter schools that expand opportunity and meet the needs of historically underserved communities across North Carolina.