Dr. Dre-backed program picks West Charlotte High
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West Charlotte High School opened in 1938 on Beatties Ford Road at what is now Northwest School of the Arts. Photo: Ashley Mahoney/Axios
West Charlotte High School students will soon be able to participate in a program co-founded by music icon Dr. Dre and renowned music executive Jimmy Iovine.
- The school was recently chosen to participate in the Iovine and Young Center, a California-based design, technology, business and communications program.
Why it matters: Iovine and Young Center selection comes with a roughly $2 million grant to use over five years.
What to expect: The center kicks off in the 2026–27 school year at West Charlotte High. The goal is to create the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs.
- Existing space at the school will be renovated to create the new center. Students will receive hands-on experience across the center's core tenets (design, technology, business and communications). Construction is in the early stages, West Charlotte Principal Paula Cook tells Axios.
- A cohort of 20-30 incoming freshmen will begin the program this fall. The center's curriculum will be built into English and social studies classes. Cook hopes to for overlap between the school's newly launched Bridges to Leadership program, which focuses on building civic leadership and global awareness, and cohort students in order to allow more access to the new program.
- The application process for the program is TBD, Cook says.
Context: Iovine and Young Centers are modeled after the University of Southern California's Iovine and Young Academy, which Iovine, the former CEO of Beats, and Dr. Dre (aka Andre Young) co-founded.
- The center first opened in 2022 in Los Angeles and now has locations in Atlanta, Compton, Denver, Inglewood, Calif., Miami and New York.
Zoom out: West Charlotte is a historically Black high school that became the standard for integration as students were bused in from other parts of Charlotte. Following the end of required busing, the student body has been primarily Black.
Between the lines: West Charlotte has not always had the financial resources of other Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, whether that meant $28,000 to purchase state championship rings for student-athletes or putting on a musical.
- Cook credits former West Charlotte principal Timisha Barnes-Jones, who performed in the film adaptation of "The Color Purple," with helping reinvigorate the arts at West Charlotte.
- The school has also expanded its IB program, and in 2022, West Charlotte moved into a new $106 million building.
The big picture: There's visible momentum for the school, Cook says.
- She encourages corporations and local businesses to reach out to her or CMS if they have opportunities for students.
The bottom line: West Charlotte bosts several notable alumni — from former Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx to NFL player Tez Walker. Becoming an Iovine and Young Center will offer more big opportunities to students, leaders say.