Big Dreams, Real Steps: Beacon Ridge Residents Level Up – Together

 At Beacon Ridge, while residents build their community together, they also are building their futures through the Level Up Workshop Series, an initiative to connect families with resources that support personal and economic growth, and opportunities that help them prosper. 

The series, held at the affordable apartment community located on the Beacon site, brings together local partners and residents for workshops focused on employment, education, and personal and economic development. Created by Southeast Raleigh Promise Resident Services Coordinator Mikayla Cunningham, Level Up was inspired by an annual survey she conducted with residents to better understand what opportunities would help them and their families succeed. The result: a lineup of hands-on workshops focused on increasing income, improving health, advancing education, building skills for the future, and imagining – BIG! 

“After talking with residents, it was clear that people had goals for themselves and their families, but they needed access to the right information and support,” Cunningham said. “The Level Up Workshop Series is about creating those opportunities and giving residents practical tools they can use to move forward.” 

So far, residents have participated in four sessions, including:
 

• Two workshops with Dress for Success – Participants learned professional development skills such as interview preparation, workplace confidence, and how to present themselves for career opportunities. 
• A session with Wake Technical Community College – Both high school students and adults explored higher education and workforce training opportunities. 
• A Vision Board Retreat workshop – Residents created boards to map out their goals for 2026 and keep daily reminders of the future they’re working toward. 

The Level Up Series reflects Southeast Raleigh Promise’s role as a community quarterback to convene partners, connect residents to resources, and catalyze opportunities for long-term success in cradle to career education, health and wellness, economic vitality, and mixed-income housing. 

More Level Up self-improvement workshops are planned in the months ahead because when residents have access to the right tools and support, they don’t just level up individually, the whole community rises.