The mission of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association is to provide governance and leadership for interscholastic athletic programs that support and enrich the educational experience of students. The North Carolina High School Athletic Association, Inc. was founded early in the 20th century. The Association is a voluntary, 501C3 non-profit corporation which administers the state's interscholastic athletic program on the high school level. Any North Carolina public or non-boarding parochial high school is eligible for membership, provided it is accredited by the State Department of Public Instruction and that the school adopts and maintains a prescribed code to guarantee fair competition. The Association currently has 427 member high schools and certifies the eligibility of well over 165,000 athletes annually. The NCHSAA staff is composed of 15 full-time employees and 2 part-time staff members and is based in Chapel Hill, NC.