Giving Back Through March Madness

In the midst of the NCAA College Basketball Tournament, the Economics Department at Duke found a creative way to support non-profit organizations. Like so many companies, the department runs a bracket pool, but with one small difference. To enter the pool, participants must make a donation to an organization chosen by the previous year’s winner. Last year, Duke professor Dr. Craig Burnside won the bracket pool and picked Communities in Schools of Durham as his charity of choice.

As a Duke economist, Dr. Burnside saw the importance of education on a national or global scale, but living in Durham he recognized how transformative a good elementary and high school education could be for our community. We asked him how he wanted to see the Durham community grow and he responded, “I’d like to see every kid in Durham be able to go to a high quality school, with great facilities and a nurturing educational environment. If every kid in Durham graduates with at least a high school diploma, this can only help the community get stronger.” That’s a message everyone at Communities and Schools believes in and it is what we are all working for each day.

Thank you Dr. Burnside for your support of Communities in Schools of Durham and for being a part of a great way to support non-profits!