Number 10

Resources for Assisting Families with Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Affordable Connectivity Program

To help schools and districts as they assist with Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) sign-ups, the Office of Educational Technology (OET) developed FAQs and resources to facilitate communication with families about their eligibility. This includes a template letter to let families know their child receives free or reduced-price school meals and therefore meets the ACP’s eligibility criteria. OET also provides a sample form that can be used to obtain families’ consent to share their child’s eligibility for free or reduced-price school meals with ACP-participating providers.

Learn more about the Affordable Connectivity Program and view the support resources here.

Number 9

Lessons Learned on the Road from N.C.’s Cooperative Innovative High Schools

"Last fall, EdNC visited all 58 community colleges over the span of four months. We called the campaign Impact58, as it was an opportunity for us to learn more about the impact of our state’s community colleges.

We spoke to faculty, staff, and students about some of the issues that will be at the forefront of this year’s legislative session, including dual enrollment opportunities such as Cooperative Innovative High Schools (CIHS).

Given the research showing the many benefits of CIHS and recent legislative changes to the funding model for these schools, we took the opportunity to visit as many CIHS as we could to witness their impact firsthand. Here’s what we learned."

Read the full article here.

Number 8

Beaufort County Schools Honored with Turnip the Beet Award

Beaufort County Schools was recently announced as one of ninety-eight Summer Nutrition Program sponsors honored with a national Turnip the Beet Award. The district received a Silver Turnip the Beet Award for providing appealing and nutritious summer meals featuring locally grown ingredients, soliciting and incorporating student input into menus, and encouraging healthy eating.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) created the Turnip the Beet Awards to showcase Summer Nutrition Program sponsors that go above and beyond to ensure that children are receiving high-quality meals that are both nutritious and appetizing. 

Congratulations, Beaufort County Schools! Learn more about the Turnip the Beet Award here.

Number 7

2023 CyberStart America Competition

North Carolina high school students have an amazing opportunity to explore potential careers in cybersecurity and computer science while competing for scholarships and prizes as part of the free online CyberStart America competition.

Students do not need knowledge or experience in information technology or cybersecurity to participate.

The deadline to register is April 4, 2023. Learn more about CyberStart America and register here.

Number 6

Summer Employment Opportunities with NC Governor's School

Are you interested in working with exceptionally talented, intellectually engaged high school students in a thriving learning community this summer? If so, come join the NC Governor’s School! NCDPI has openings in a variety of positions ranging from Instructors to support staff to Teacher Assistant/Counselors (TACS).

Being on staff allows you to play a role in a life-changing summer for amazing students. It’s an opportunity to work with students in an environment where creativity and curiosity are valued and learning takes place without the pressures of grades or tests.

The summer session will be from June 12-July 15 for staff (June 18-July 15 for students) and will be at two campuses: Meredith College and Winston-Salem State University.

NCDPI will be reviewing applications and conducting interviews through an on-going process. Position availability, job descriptions, and application are available here. If you have questions, please contact Rodney Allen at ncgovschool@dpi.nc.gov.

Number 5

2023 Fight the Bite Contest

The NC Division of Public Health, Communicable Disease Branch is excited to announce the Annual “Fight the Bite!” campaign. This campaign aims to educate North Carolinians about the prevention of vector-borne diseases by ‘fighting the bite!’ Ticks and mosquitoes cause a great deal of illness in North Carolina, including Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Lyme disease, and La Crosse Encephalitis.

All K-12 students across the state are invited to create and submit an educational poster that may be used in this statewide campaign! A panel of judges will review entries and choose the winners from each grade level category. Winning entries will be based on creativity, originality, and the ability to convey information about the prevention of vector-borne diseases and will be displayed on the Division of Public Health website, in schools, local health departments, and other state government buildings to help motivate others to “Fight the Bite!”

Learn more about Fight the Bite here.

Number 4

Portrait of a Graduate Exemplars

The Office of Innovation at NCDPI is interested in showcasing exemplars of the Portrait of a Graduate Competencies as an extension of the Promising Practices Clearinghouse.

The competencies include Adaptability, Collaboration, Communication, Critical Thinking, Empathy, Learner’s Mindset, and Personal Responsibility. The exemplars should spotlight these competencies from various perspectives, such as leaders being collaborative, teachers being critical thinkers, students being adaptable, etc., with a special interest in student-based exemplars.

This information is being collected via the Portrait of a Graduate Exemplars Google form. Please feel free to share this flyer that outlines this information. Questions can be directed to Angie.Mullennix@dpi.nc.gov.

Number 3

52nd Annual North Carolina Reading Conference Registration Now Open

The 52nd Annual North Carolina Reading Conference will be held March 26-28 in Winston-Salem. Educators can earn up to 2.0 literacy CEUs by attending sessions led by NCDPI staff, nationally recognized speakers and authors, classroom teachers and more! 

Learn more and register here.

Number 2

Financial Aid February - "How to Pay for College" Free Webinar Series

February is Financial Aid Awareness Month! As part of Financial Aid Awareness month, NCSEAA and CFNC are pleased to bring you the "How to Pay for College" webinar series. Students and their families are often confused about how to bridge the gap between family funds, financial aid and the total cost of paying for college. Funding a college education shouldn’t be a mystery. Having a better understanding of the funding landscape can help families build a sound plan so students can focus on their studies.

The final webinar of the series, Evaluating Financial Aid Offers, will be February 23 from 6-7 p.m. During this webinar participants will learn tips for evaluating each financial aid offer they've received to choose the school that's right for them. Learn more and register here.

Number 1

Wells Fargo North Carolina Regional Principals of the Year Named

Nine outstanding public school principals have been selected as regional Wells Fargo North Carolina Principals of the Year who will now compete for the state title of 2023 Wells Fargo North Carolina Principal of the Year. The winner will succeed the 2022 recipient, Dr. Patrick Greene, principal of Greene Central High School (Greene County Schools).

The nine regional Wells Fargo principals of the year are:

• Northeast: John Lassiter, Hertford Grammar (Perquimans County Schools)
• Sandhills: Jim Butler, Richmond Senior High (Richmond County Schools)
• Northwest: Jessica Gravel, Drexel Elementary (Burke County Public Schools)
• Piedmont-Triad: Donna Bledsoe, Cedar Ridge Elementary (Surry County Schools)
• Southeast: Ashley Faulkenberry, Trent Park Elementary (Craven County Schools)
• North Central: Dr. William Logan, Hillside High (Durham Public Schools)
• Western: Ruafika Cobb, Ira B. Jones Elementary (Asheville City Schools)
• Southwest: Tonya Williams, Concord Middle (Cabarrus County Schools)
• Charter: T.J. Worrell, NE Academy for Aerospace and Advance Technologies (Elizabeth City)

Read the full press release here.