Vince Carter is a life-long Chicagoan, a graduate of Chicago State University with a Bachelor’s in Elementary Education, and University of Concordia Irvine with a Master’s in Athletic Management.
Carter has taught and coached in the Chicago Public Schools since 1976. He has been awarded several educational and athletic accolades during his tenure.
In 1980, he co-founded of Project Education Plus (PEP), an academic and athletic program in the Cabrini-Green Near North community. The program stemmed from his commitment to youth during the 1980 Chicago Teacher’s Strike. Vince and others volunteered to tutor the students while they were not in school. He has served as PEP’s executive director since its inception. The Chicago Demons Baseball and Basketball Programs grew out of PEP’s recreational programming. He also was instrumental in developing the first Seward Park Raiders Jr. Bear Football Program and the Carson Field Baseball League. He has been instrumental in the growth of PEP into a program that includes youth, senior citizens, and families for forty years.
With the mentoring of many community leaders, PEP has been a staple in the area even during the transformation. Vince and the program have received numerous accolades from the Chicago Public Schools, Friends of the Parks, Chicago Sun-Times, and the Chicago Tribune, to name a few.