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Water’s Edge Village School (WEVS) in Corolla has made significant progress toward building its new schoolhouse with a $300,000 grant from the Evans Family Fund at the Outer Banks Community Foundation (OBCF). The grant was announced at the OBCF Advisors Breakfast by the OBCF Board of Directors and Wayne Evans of the Evans Family Fund. The award is the largest single grant in the Community Foundation’s 42-year history and brings WEVS to nearly 90% of its $2.1 million fundraising goal.

Founded in 2012, WEVS is a tuition-free K-8 charter school focused on hands-on, project-based learning. The school has grown from 15 students to 50 and plans to expand its facilities to meet rising demand.

“We have outgrown the original schoolhouse,” said Corolla Education Foundation board vice president/treasurer Bryan Daggett. “While the students are still using the original schoolhouse, they are also using other facilities around Corolla, including the community room in the Corolla Chapel and an outdoor classroom at the boathouse, for classes and extracurricular activities.”

The new WEVS building will include three classrooms, a community room, a resource room, and a teacher’s office, and is located next to the small historic 1890s Corolla schoolhouse that is WEVS’ current building.

“We are incredibly proud, honored, and delighted to support the Evans Family and the community of Corolla through this transformative gift,” said Ray Meiggs, development chair of the Outer Banks Community Foundation. “The families of the Currituck beaches are an integral part of the Outer Banks, and this is exactly the type of major gift that creates meaningful, lasting impact—especially for the students who will benefit from this new schoolhouse for generations to come.”

With no public funding available for charter school facilities, community support has been vital, noted the grant announcement from OBCF. The expansion will allow WEVS to continue its mission of providing quality education in Corolla and serving as an important resource for the local community.

“WEVS provides a child-centered learning environment where students explore their strengths and interests through active participation in the learning process,” said WEVS co-founder Sylvia Wolff. “Our project-based curriculum follows the North Carolina Standard Course of Study, and supplements it with various enrichment opportunities.”

This milestone underscores the transformative impact of collaboration and local investment in education, paving the way for the school’s continued growth and success. The current plan is to have the new building open for the 25/26 school year.

The full Outer Banks Community Foundation story by Tatum Clements about WEVS can be found online at obcf.org/waters-edge-village-school/.

WEVS is an active participant in Christmas in Corolla, which is a wonderful opportunity to become more informed about WEVS’ schoolhouse project and to experience their community.

“WEVS will be open every evening during Christmas in Corolla inviting people into the schoolhouse for tours, and selling baked goods and crafts,” said Wolff. “Most people who visit report that they have never been inside the schoolhouse, so we love sharing our magical space. We also annually participate as carolers in the Village during Christmas in Corolla. This year, we are singing and playing bells on Fri., Dec. 13. The kids have been working hard. Come hear the kids play music, or stop by the schoolhouse during Christmas in Corolla and learn more about WEVS!” 

At the Outer Banks Community Foundation, there are countless ways to get involved in philanthropy. For more information about creating or contributing to a charitable fund, go to OBCF.org or call 252-423-3003.

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