UPDATE INCLUDES: 

OPPORTUNITIES & AWARDS  

• State and National Schools of Character Application Now Open 

• Character.org Forum

• Apply For the 2024 Senate Youth Scholarship 
• Grant Opportunities

INSTRUCTIONAL TOOLS & RESOURCES  

• Professional Learning Opportunity: How to integrate Character Education in ELA & Social Studies by learning about the Holocaust

• Webinar Series: Integrating SEL and Character Education into Your Social Studies Classroom

• Webinar: Checking in on School Climate

• Office of Academic Standards Yearlong Outlook 

• Ideas to Join & Lead on 9/11 Day of Service

State and National School of Character Application Is Now Open    Has your school or district cultivated a supportive and caring community? Do you think your staff, students, and the larger community have successfully implemented the 11 Principles of Effective Character? Apply this fall for State and National School of Character to receive valuable feedback for improvement whether you reach School of Character status this year or not. The 2023 School of Character Application deadline is November 10, 2023   If you need funding to apply please contact Justyn Burgess at Justyn.Burgess@dpi.nc.gov   Learn More and Get Started!

Character.org Forum  November 6-7 2023, Washington D.C. REGISTER    ✓ Keynote speakers to inspire you ✓  Celebrate the 2023 National Schools of Character ✓  60+ Breakout sessions on emerging practices and strategies ✓  Networking opportunities with experts and school leaders ✓  Learn from 2023 Promising Practices ✓  Moonlight monument tour ✓  25+ Exhibitor Booths   CBS News correspondent Steve Hartman and his kids are sharing stories built around themes of kindness, character, and the people who've mastered both. He will also be the Forum Keynote talking about how character can transform the world.   Enjoy this lesson in hope and giving back.  Watch Now

2024 United States Senate Youth Program and Scholarship 

Application Materials are now available for the United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP). The USSYP provides an education opportunity for juniors and seniors interested in pursuing college coursework in history or political science to spend a week in Washington D.C. meeting senators, cabinet members, supreme court justices, and officials from various federal agencies and the white house. 

Two student winners will be selected to represent North Carolina.  These two winners will each attend the Washington Week Program,  March 2-March 9, 2024. 

Deadline to apply is October 1, 2023 

Learn More 

Grants

Professional Learning Opportunity: How to integrate Character Education in ELA & Social Studies by learning about the Holocaust    Looking for ways to implement both Character Education and the Gizella Abramson Holocaust Education Act in ELA and Social Studies classrooms?    Learning about the Holocaust allows students to build character and develop skills like empathy and social awareness. In an effort to foster these skills, NCDPI partnered with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum to create standards-based resources for implementation in secondary grades. These resources are based on using the texts Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank and Night by Elie Wiesel. The goal of the resources is for teachers to be able to embed both character education and Holocaust education seamlessly into core curriculum.    Contact Thomas.Daugherty@dpi.nc.gov and Kelly.Schultz@dpi.nc.gov to set up a professional learning experience or to learn more about these resources and how they can be used in your classrooms.

Webinar: Integrating "Self Management" into Your Social Studies Classroom September 27, 2023 @ 4-5pm EST    Register The first webinar will focus on Self-Management to discover practical strategies to help your students regulate emotions, set goals, and demonstrate self-discipline. Don't miss this valuable opportunity to create a positive and productive learning environment in your social studies classroom!

Webinar: Checking in on School Climate

Measuring community experiences—those of students, staff, and parents—can provide strategic insights and can impact educator growth, student outcomes, and community support. Attend this edWebinar to uncover the transformative value of community experience and explore how we move from data to stories, to action.

Join us to learn from education leaders who use surveys to discover actionable strategies for fostering safe and inclusive school environments. Explore examples of turning data into meaningful change—improving student experiences and, most importantly, student outcomes.

Office of Academic Standards Yearlong Outlook 

The Office of Academic Standards is excited to share a yearlong look of upcoming webinars, resources, and leaders’ meetings.  This link will stay live and will be updated periodically.  

 9/11 Day of Service

It’s been more than two decades since September 11, 2001. Honor and commemorate the sacrifices made that day by remembering the heroes, armed forces, first responders, and countless others’ acts of service to defend our nation’s freedom. On 9/11 Day of Service, Americans of all ages and backgrounds are again invited to join and lead community service projects to honor the lives and service of those we lost on September 11.

The 9/11 attacks generated a renewed sense of patriotism and commitment to protecting our democracy. (In fact, 9/11/01 was a primary election day in New York City!) 4 million people turn 18 each year and become eligible to vote. In many states, you can pre-register if you will be 18 by the next election. 9/11 Day of Service is a perfect time to pre-register or register new, young voters or to organize civic education activities. 

• K-12 Schools: Make your school a civic engagement and voter registration hub with Rhizome, My School Votes. Rock the Vote, League of Women Voters, Learning for Justice, and The Civics Center also have voter registration resources for high schools.
• Higher Ed Institutions: Connect with Students Learn Students Vote, the All In Campus Democracy Challenge, Campus Vote Project, Ask Every Student, NSLVE, or Civic Influencers.
• Check out Rock the Vote’s Democracy Class, Teaching for Democracy Alliance, iCivics Election Headquarters, Learning to Give, Learning for Justice, Generation Citizen, and Civic Influencers for civic education activities to help educate new and future voters.
• Youth Media-Making Toolkit for Educators
• Creative Changemakers
• PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs
• American Press Institute
• Global Action Project’s Media in Action Curriculum
• Generation Citizen’s Write An Op-Ed lesson plan
• Engaging Public Officials Toolkit has tips and templates for you to contact your officials.
• Find Your Elected Officials – League of Women Voters
• Find Your Elected Officials – Common Cause (Includes Facebook & Twitter Profiles)
• Ways to talk to students about 9/11

The links in this newsletter will bring you to third party websites, owned and operated by independent parties over which NCDPI has no control.  Any use of these 3rd Party Websites and any information you provide will be subject to and governed by the terms of the 3rd Party Website, including those relating to confidentiality, data privacy and security. Unless otherwise expressly agreed in writing, NCDPI is not in any way associated with the owner or operator of any of the 3rd Party Websites or responsible or liable for the goods and services offered by them or for anything in connection with such 3rd Party Websites. NCDPI does not endorse and makes no warranties, representations or undertakings relating to the content of any 3rd Party Website.