The Governor's Educator Discovery Award
Now Open!
Cycle 7 of the Governor’s Educator Discovery Award is now open! The Governor’s Educator Discovery Award is open to all NC preK-12 traditional public and public charter school teachers. Teachers will enter for the chance to win a stipend up to $1,000 to pursue the professional development experience of their choosing.
Teachers can use the grant award to attend a workshop or conference that deepens their subject area knowledge, such as a coding workshop for computer science teachers, or a session on how to create a project-based learning experience for students. Applicants need to describe how their participation in the professional development experience will enhance their efforts to create a work-based learning activity for their students.
This cycle ends on August 13th, so don’t miss your chance!
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PEARO: Providing Equitable Access to Robotics Opportunities
PEARO aims to establish and support FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) teams at high schools in western North Carolina. This project is funded by the Burroughs Wellcome Fund’s Student Science Enrichment Program (SSEP) with a grant to Western Carolina University. Through participation on an FRC team, students gain valuable knowledge and skills that will foster interest and excitement in pursuing a career in STEM.
This 3-year grant will provide professional development for students and teachers, safety training, tools and materials, as well as funds to cover hotel and transportation costs. Targeted counties include: Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Jackson, Macon, Swain,Transylvania and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Nation. FRC is an evidence-based program with a measurable impact. Active recruitment is underway for schools for participation in the 2021-2022 cohort.
Additional information can be found at:
https://www.firstnorthcarolina.org/pearo
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FIRST LEGO League Discover Grant 2021-2022
Ignite curiosity with playful learning through the FIRST LEGO League Discover Program. This grant provides teachers with the tools and resources to lead early learners through 10 sessions as they explore STEM through play. These resources include scope and sequence options, which feature variations to customize activities to meet the learning needs of your students.
This grant is eligible to any school/teacher that will serve at least 80 students pre-K through 1st grade. Sessions may be run anytime between August 2021 to June 2022.
More details and the application can be found here or please contact Julia at education@firstnorthcarolina.org with any questions.
Are you interested in making an impact in education on a national scale, or know others who are?
Starting in September, the National Assessment Governing Board will be seeking nominations for Board positions to be filled in 2022!
Nominations for the following positions are being accepted Sept. 8 through Nov. 1:
The 26-member Governing Board oversees the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as The Nation’s Report Card. Members are appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Education.
They seek passionate people from diverse backgrounds who are committed to improving how student performance is measured and understood.
Candidates can nominate themselves or be nominated by someone else.
Learn more about the open positions, Board members’ responsibilities, and the submission requirements here.
Board nominations must be submitted online between Sept. 8 and Nov. 1.
 Future City is Back!
Future City NC – the project-based learning program where students in 6th, 7th, and 8th grades imagine, research, design, and build cities of the future – Region is back! The Future City program and competition has returned from a pandemic-imposed hiatus with great plans for a fantastic year!
Future City is a free program (registration fee is waived for NC!) for all middle school students to experience authentic STEM-related skills by designing a city of the future based on a themed challenge. This year’s challenge: Design a waste-free city that uses the principles of a circular economy. More info here.
Updates about this year’s competition are located here.
Interested? Register to get access to this year’s program guide and receive information about our regional happenings, such as the Future City NC “Kick-Off” meeting in early September. At that meeting, a speaker from Envision Charlotte will share about the circular economy, and you’ll learn about specific aspects of the program and this year’s competition to get you started.
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Final Call!! Professional Development Opportunities
The Division of Standards, Curriculum, and Instruction presents Greatest Hits! This is an opportunity to catch up on professional development that educators might have missed over the last year. Direct recording links, materials, and survey links for CEUs are included within! Please note that the time to complete these varies, as most are self-paced. We plan to leave these open for use through September to allow for enough time to complete them. Contact Dr. Angie Mullennix at Angie.Mullennix@dpi.nc.gov for questions.
Greatest Hits Professional Development Opportunities
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Resources:
STEM Careers Coalition
Are your students ready to solve some of the world's greatest sustainability challenges? Use these exciting hands-on activities to spark their curiosity and help them understand how they can use their skills to save our planet.
K-8 At-Home STEM and Sustainable Activities
Vermont Public Radio
ButWhy? is a podcast led by kids! It's a big interesting world out there. Kids all over the world send questions, and VPR finds the answers. They've created these learning guides to be used in a classroom setting or at home. Listen to each episode and use the guides to deepen student understanding of what they've heard.
Find more episodes at http://butwhykids.org
NC DPI STEM Consultant
Howard Ginsburg
howard.ginsburg@dpi.nc.gov
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