Professional Development Opportunities

2022 Growing Success for Multilingual Learners Summer Conference

From Standards to Success | June 20- 24, 2022

The NCDPI ESL/Title III Team invites ALL educators of Multilingual Learners (MLs) to participate in the Growing Success for MLs Summer Conference. During this summer’s conference, educators will have an opportunity to think deeply about the 2020 NC ELD Standard Course of Study (SCOS); to reimagine instruction through new ELD resources; and to exchange SCOS implementation ideas that center the needs and achievement of MLs.

In order to address how opportunities presented by the 2020 NC ELD SCOS can be both understood and actualized for MLs, the 2022 Growing Success for MLs Summer Conference will center around the theme: From Standards to Success.

This year’s conference has been designed for a virtual environment. The NCDPI ESL/Title III Team hopes the virtual format will allow educators to minimize the disruptions to their day-to-day responsibilities and minimize time away from family and friends. To combat online fatigue, the NCDPI ESL/Title III team put together a program that spans five days with sessions running for two hours. The 2022 Growing Success for MLs Summer Conference is anchored by a professional learning series organized by educator role. Participants may register to attend any of the sessions from the four pathways below:

• ESL Specialists/EL Lead Teachers: those who provide professional development, curate or develop materials for ESL classes, and/or have administrative duties as well as educational duties
• ESL Teachers: Those who work predominantly in the classroom with MLs on language development
• Content Area Teachers: Those who work predominantly in the classroom with MLs and non-MLs on subject areas, such as ELA, science, math, social studies, arts, etc.
• Multifaceted Roles: Those who serve in two or more of the above roles

We encourage EL Coordinators to choose the pathways that best suit them.

Office Hours will complement each day’s course and will be held 3:30 - 4:30 PM. Come to these informal, small-group sessions to pose questions to speakers, share ideas, or meet with other educators in the field. Office Hours do not require registration.

Register now!

Sci-Tech Fest

Classroom teachers!  Are you interested in a free opportunity to learn about 3D printers and bioprinters?  Would you like some hands on experience with smart sensors and nanotechnology in the science classroom?  Please register/sign up for our Sci-TECH fest hosted by Southern Wake Academy in conjunction with NC State University for a day of fun and learning on June 25, 2022.  Stipends are available through application and a free continental breakfast/catered lunch available to all.  

Participants will be awarded with a certificate of attendance for CEU purposes.  For more details, see our website.

See flyer above or contact adrienne.evans@swake.org

Apply now! Bring science to life with a scholarship to the Out Teach PLC

Out Teach received national sponsorship for 100 scholarships for our Professional Learning Community for next school year.  Please apply now for a secure place in this great program which empowers elementary educators to use existing outdoor spaces to bring learning to life, integrate Science across subject areas, and inspire students of all backgrounds with authentic hands-on learning, adding meaning and context to every subject, and sparking students’ love of learning and discovery.

• National Network of Educators – Join a supportive and collaborative network of educators to learn specific strategies to incorporate outdoor learning into instruction.
• Virtual Meetings – Out Teach hosts six virtual meetings per school year plus ongoing support and collaborative opportunities in between sessions.
• Outdoor Space Activation – Year-long professional development helps teachers use any campus outdoor space to create high-quality, engaging learning experiences.
• Experienced Instructors – Out Teach Master Teachers help participants identify and implement effective and innovative instructional strategies that help unlock student performance and spark a love of STEM.
• Community of Support – Cultivates a long-term teacher-to-teacher network of support.

Link to Apply: Professional Learning Community - Out Teach (out-teach.org)

Student Opportunities

Monkey Health Explorer

This citizen science opportunity provided by the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences is geared toward middle and high school students.  Curriculum-related content and lesson plans are freely available.  For more information contact Dr. Julie Horvath at NRCgenomicsMicro@gmail.com.  To access this opportunity visit the Monkey Health Explorer website.

United States Environmental Protection Agency

Free Summer Science Institute

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Research Triangle Park, NC, will host its 12th annual Summer Science Institute June 13-17, 2022. This FREE 1-week program will inform participants about how the EPA protects human health and the environment and will emphasize interactive and hands-on experiences, tours of campus facilities, and networking with EPA professionals.  Rising 11th and 12th graders are eligible to apply to the Environmental Science Summer Institute, and participation is limited to 20 students. The EPA Summer Institute is Monday-Friday, June 13-17, 2022, from 9am-4pm and will be in-person on the U.S. EPA Campus in Research Triangle Park, NC. More information and a link to the application are here. You can read about the 2018 in-person program here.

Grant Opportunity

Plasma Games Pilot Competitive Grant

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) is pleased to announce the Plasma Games Pilot Competitive Grant approved by the State Board of Education, to promote access to innovative digital and personalized learning solutions for high school students that bridge the gap between chemistry and physical science classes and career and technical education (CTE) career pathways.

The purpose of the Plasma Games Pilot Competitive Grant Program is to promote access to innovative digital and personalized learning solutions for high school students demonstrating proficiency in science and math and to support schools in their efforts to increase the number of students pursuing education and career opportunities in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Districts and PSUs participating in the pilot must incorporate the software program developed by Plasma Games, Inc., in select STEM classes, and CTE programs, to encourage student interest and workforce development. A local school administrative unit participating in the pilot shall provide the Department with a plan for the placement of the STEM-focused educational technology developed by Plasma Games, Inc., in its schools and may include a plan from the pilot program established pursuant to Section 4.2D of S.L. 2020-4, as enacted by Section 1.1(e) of S.L. 2020-80, if the unit participated in that pilot.

Any public school unit, including districts, charter schools and lab schools, are eligible to apply to the Department of Public Instruction for a grant to implement a Plasma Games Pilot.  The Division of Academic Standards at the Department of Public Instruction has been tasked with the administration of this pilot program. As required by the legislation, the Agency will provide payment to PSUs to cover the full or partial cost of the program. NCDPI will utilize the CCIP program to accept grant requests.  Applications must be submitted by close of business July 1, 2022.

Following the completion of the required information, grant applications will be evaluated by a review team and awardees approved by the State Board of Education.  Information provided on the Plasma Games Pilot Grant will be located on the NCDPI  Division of Academic Standards website. Questions pertaining to the logistics of the Plasma Games Pilot Competitive Grant reimbursement can be directed to Howard.Ginsburg@dpi.nc.gov.

NC DPI Science Consultants

Dr. Debra Hall

K-5 Science

debra.hall@dpi.nc.gov

Gavin Fradel 

6-8 Science

gavin.fradel@dpi.nc.gov

Benita Tipton 

9-12 Science

 benita.tipton@dpi.nc.gov

Alexis Wood

9-12 Science

kathryn.wood@dpi.nc.gov

Additional Contacts:

Dr. Charles Aiken

Section Chief K-12 Mathematics, Science and STEM

charles.aiken@dpi.nc.gov

Howard Ginsburg

K-12 STEM Consultant

howard.ginsburg@dpi.nc.gov

Marilyn Johns

Administration Specialist

marilyn.johns@dpi.nc.gov

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