The mission of Greater Steps Scholars is to make certain that every child living in subsidized housing has both the opportunity for and expectation of a college education. https://greatersteps.org/ 2026-08-12T15:16:00+00:00 Greater Steps Scholars 2020-11-10T18:02:05+00:00 2020-11-10T18:02:05+00:00 https://greatersteps.org/483-1-000-scholarships-and-counting-for-40-years-john-crawford-has-helped-youth-in-public-housing-attend-college Super User

<p><em><strong>What's Next for this one-of-a-kind Charlotte scholarship?</strong></em><br /><br /><img src="https://greatersteps.org/images/JohnCrawford_2024-Observer-pic.jpg" alt="May 2024 Charlotte Observer article" /><br /><em>John Crawford and Christopher Davis meet in west Charlotte. Christopher lived in multiple public housing developments and became one of 1,000 students Crawford helped over the past 40 years.</em></p> <p><br />Charlotte, NC (May 2024 - <em>by Lisa Vernon Sparks</em>) — Sometime in the early 1970s, John Crawford received an offer he couldn't refuse.</p> <p>The Charlotte Housing Authority approached him about a job working with families and children who lived in its dozens of complexes. Crawford, then a school teacher and coach, loved working with children. It was a natural fit and he accepted the offer.</p> <p>But early in the gig, Crawford saw things he found troubling - prostitution, drug dealing and teens overdosing at some of the properties, making it an unsafe environment, he said.</p> <p>"I wanted to change that," he said.</p>

<p><em><strong>What's Next for this one-of-a-kind Charlotte scholarship?</strong></em><br /><br /><img src="https://greatersteps.org/images/JohnCrawford_2024-Observer-pic.jpg" alt="May 2024 Charlotte Observer article" /><br /><em>John Crawford and Christopher Davis meet in west Charlotte. Christopher lived in multiple public housing developments and became one of 1,000 students Crawford helped over the past 40 years.</em></p> <p><br />Charlotte, NC (May 2024 - <em>by Lisa Vernon Sparks</em>) — Sometime in the early 1970s, John Crawford received an offer he couldn't refuse.</p> <p>The Charlotte Housing Authority approached him about a job working with families and children who lived in its dozens of complexes. Crawford, then a school teacher and coach, loved working with children. It was a natural fit and he accepted the offer.</p> <p>But early in the gig, Crawford saw things he found troubling - prostitution, drug dealing and teens overdosing at some of the properties, making it an unsafe environment, he said.</p> <p>"I wanted to change that," he said.</p>