Five years ago, Dr. Laura Lowder collaborated with PTP Director, Mariaelena Ruiz, to strategically design, develop, build, and launch our academic program based around the unique needs of our dancers in the pre-professional training program.  The first three years, the program operated as a formal academic program to support homeschool scholars.  During the early part of 2020, Dr. Laura Lowder partnered up with her family of educators to begin the formation of the non-profit, Scholars Academy for the Gifted and Artistically Elite, Corp.  She, husband, Michael Lowder, and sister, Caroline Sowards founded this cooperation to become active September 1st, 2020, with the North Carolina Secretary of State and ahave received official acknoledgement of 501c status with the United States federal government.  We have founded this non-profit with aspirations to build opportunities for all of our scholars with equitable access and opportunity, regardless of family income.