SALISBURY —  Partners In Learning has launched a commemorative brick campaign as part of fundraising efforts toward a new facility.

Partners In Learning is expanding and moving to a new location on Martin Luther King Drive. After 25 years of service to Rowan County at the original site, Partners In Learning invites the community to make a lasting mark toward the future.

With a donation by Taylor Clay Products, Partners In Learning is selling 600 bricks for the
commemorative walkway into the new facility. By donating $250, you can become a part of Partners In Learning legacy with a commemorative brick featured in the walkway. It is a perfect way to honor or memorialize a past student, beloved teacher, loved one, someone who has a passion for child development or has made an impact in your life. You can visit the website to purchase a brick or contact Amy Vestal, development director, at 704-638-9020.

Celia Jarrett, board member and daughter of founder Dr. Shirley Ritchie, recalls her mother saying, “When you recognize a need and have a just and righteous cause, you will not have to do it alone because people will step up and meet you there.”

People in the community have stepped up already to support the growth of the nonprofit through local grants and private donations.

The new facility will provide additional infant, toddler and preschool classrooms, along with a comprehensive clinic that will house Rowan County’s first autism clinic.

“Partners In Learning strives for a world where every child will have a proper and inclusive education, no matter their income or disability,” Executive Director Norma Honeycutt said in a news release. “We believe that it takes a community to help build the foundation for our youth. Purchasing a brick is another way for the community to be involved.”

There will be other ways to get involved. This spring, PIL hopes to have events that engage people from different parts of the county and various giving levels. The nonprofit wants everyone to feel as though they can shape the community’s future.