Meet the people and ideas behind the Sledge Institute

The journey to Sledge Institute began long before it had a name. In 2009, during just her second year as a principal, Dr. Chandra Sledge Mathias was first asked if she had ever thought about starting a charter school. Her response? "People do that?!" At the time, the idea seemed out of reach. But as the years passed, that question kept resurfacing, planting a seed that would eventually grow into a bold call to action.

 

​Dr. Sledge Mathias’s career has taken her across the United States and around the world, serving as a teacher, school leader, consultant, leadership coach, and school design strategist. Through these experiences, she developed the expertise, vision, and unwavering belief that the future of education could be reimagined—and that she had the responsibility to help lead that change.

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In 2020, she launched Wouldn’t It Be Cool If Organization, an education-facing company dedicated to supporting education innovation, global collaboration, and educator development. When the pandemic forced the world into stillness, she used that moment to reflect on a powerful question:

"Wouldn't it be cool if there were a school that brought together all the most inspiring, powerful practices she had seen in schools around the world? And wouldn't it be even cooler if that school existed in the Kerr-Tar region of North Carolina, where she grew up?"

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She believed that when you see a need and have the ability to address it—you DO IT. Armed with giant post-it notes and a bold vision, she began mapping out ideas. But she didn’t do it alone. She reached out to educators, families, professionals across industries, higher education leaders, and—most importantly—students themselves. These conversations led to the formation of a design team that shaped the values and vision that became Sledge Institute.

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That design team evolved into the founding governing board and a growing network of supporters, and today, we’re not just dreaming—we’re doing.
 

Sledge Institute is open, alive, and growing because of bold vision, heavy lifts, late nights, and radical collaboration. From sticky notes on the wall to students walking our halls, this school was built with love, purpose, and an unshakable belief in what’s possible for young people in the Kerr-Tar region. This isn’t just a school—it’s a movement. And whether you’re a family, a funder, a community partner, or a neighbor with a heart for youth—we invite you to walk this journey with us. Invest. Collaborate. Celebrate. Share your gifts. Let’s build something extraordinary, together.

The best ideas don’t just stay ideas. They become Sledgehammer-strong realities.⚒️