Each Spring, the Charlotte Unity Breakfast brings the community together in support of a shared belief: that when young people are given access to meaningful outdoor experiences, they discover their potential to lead. Hosted annually by NCOBS, the breakfast is the signature fundraising event for the Charlotte Unity Project, a two-part program that inspires high school students to grow as compassionate leaders through challenge, reflection, and social-emotional learning.  

For more than 25 years, the Charlotte Unity Project has partnered with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to expand access to outdoor education and leadership development. The program begins with a free seven-day backpacking and rock climbing course, where students learn technical skills, practice leadership, and take part in authentic conversations about identity, community, and social issues. As they face new challenges together, students build trust, confidence, and resilience as a crew.  

After the wilderness course, students return home and put their learning into action. Through school-based Unity Clubs, participants lead projects that promote understanding, raise awareness, and inspire positive change in their schools and communities. The lessons from the trail continue long after the course ends, and these projects are just the beginning.  

On March 5, 2026, the Charlotte community gathered at The Ruth for a morning grounded in connection and purpose. Together, their generosity raised over $159,000, fully funding scholarships for a new cohort of Unity students to take part in an Outward Bound course this summer at no cost to them or their families. These scholarships cover all expenses associated with the program, from all gear students use on course to transportation between Charlotte and Western North Carolina.  

This year’s breakfast featured keynote speaker Dr. Marsicano, a respected leader in education and civic life whose work reflects the values at the heart of the Unity Project. His speech reflected the power of unity:  

The program also honored two individuals whose lives reflect the values taught on Outward Bound courses. Fred Whitfield received the Spirit of Unity Award, which is presented annually to an individual who has dedicated their life to strengthening the fabric of their community, bringing people together, and creating opportunities to unify the threads that form strong interdependent relationships. He was selected for his decades of leadership in Charlotte and his belief in the power of sports and mentorship as catalysts for connection, opportunity, and positive change for young people across the region. He spoke on the impact of experiential learning:  

“Experiential learning, whether in the wilderness or in our communities, teaches resilience, trust, accountability, and most importantly, leadership. It reminds us that growth happens when we step outside our comfort zones.”

 

Pat Rodgers was honored with the Spirit of Outward Bound Award, which recognizes individuals who live out the organization’s core values of self-reliance, physical fitness, craftsmanship, and compassion. She was selected for her lifetime of principled leadership and service, from guiding a nationally recognized business to championing education and philanthropy across the Carolinas. A longtime supporter of the Charlotte Unity Project, Rodgers has helped make transformative experiences possible for many students. During the Unity Breakfast, she reminded us that anyone can become a leader:  

“I’ve learned along the way that leadership is not about gender or age. Leadership knows no bounds.”

 

At the center of the morning were student voices. Their reflections brought the Unity Project to life and reminded everyone in the room about the impact of the program: 

Together, these reflections captured the heart of the Charlotte Unity Project. Through shared challenge, students discovered confidence they did not know they had, found connection beyond screens, and experienced what it means to show up for one another as a crew. What begins on the trail does not stay there. Students carry these lessons back into their schools, their relationships, and their future paths, grounded in the knowledge that they belong, their voices matter, and they are capable of shaping more compassionate communities. 

“At North Carolina Outward Bound School, we do not create leaders. We create conditions for you to discover what’s already inside of you,” Alexys J. Woods, Charlotte Program Director, addressed the students before turning attention back to the audience. “The Unity Project is… where students can discover their voice, where they can find their inner strength, where they begin to see that they have the power to shape their schools, their communities, and their futures.” 

The 2026 Charlotte Unity Project Breakfast was made possible by generous Pillar Sponsors, including Crowder Construction, Stanwick Dunham, Trane Technologies, and Rufus M. Dalton. Their support, along with the support of the broader Charlotte community, ensures that Unity students can step onto the trail this summer ready to grow, lead, and carry what they learn forward.