Person Early College for Innovation and Leadership is an early college high school established by Person County Schools and Piedmont Community College (PCC).  Its purpose is to expand students’ opportunities for success by providing pathways toward academic engagement, post-secondary education, and vital Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) careers.  The early college targets students whose parents did not continue education after high school, those who may not be challenged enough in the tradition school model, and those who would benefit from accelerated academic instruction.

Person Early College will be located on PCC’s campus and will serve 50 freshmen in the first cohort, adding 50 more students each subsequent year.  A variety of unique educational opportunities will be incorporated into the high school and college-level courses, such as mentorships with community business partners, field trips to businesses and colleges, and service leadership initiatives.  The curriculum pathways have been designed in such a way that all students can graduate with a high school diploma and an associate degree in five years.