UPDATE INCLUDES: 

SPOTLIGHT ON CHARACTER

• Empowering North Carolina Educators at the Character.org Forum 

OPPORTUNITIES & AWARDS 

• Law of Life Essay Contest 
• International Service-Learning Forum
• 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 
• On-Demand Professional Learning 

• Office of Academic Standards Yearlong Outlook 

Empowering North Carolina Educators at the Character.org Forum  The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) sponsored two dedicated educators to attend the 2023 Character.org Forum. This sponsorship is a testament to fostering character development in our schools in North Carolina.    Kristin Collette is the K-6 Counselor at Lake Lure Classical Academy (LLCA). She serves students with weekly SEL Guidance Lessons and serves the school community as the PCAC Staff Coordinator.  "The Character Forum was inspiring to connect with leaders, experts, and teachers worldwide! I am excited to work on applying for a Promising Practice for LLCA. Our administration supports LLCA working toward becoming a School of Character by applying the 11 Principles." ~Kristin Collette     Leslie Paynter is the founding Managing Director of Alamance Community School (ACS). ACS implements the Responsive Classroom approach to develop a positive climate and culture, foster self-care and care for the environment, and foster collaboration. Leslie believes our students' character development and social-emotional health are critical to their academic success. "The opportunity provided by NCDPI to attend the Character.org Forum was a fantastic experience. It allowed me to further my professional and personal growth in character education and share what I learned with staff, students, and families." ~Leslie Paynter

Laws of Life Essay Contest    The Laws of Life essay contest encourages middle school and high school students to reflect and write about a core value that means the most to them – and why.   • The program is available to all students in middle schools and high schools across the world. • All essay writers will be recognized by Character.org. They will also recognize the most compelling essays and feature them on their website and social media channels.   Submissions are due Thursday, March 21, 2024 and can be submitted through this online form.

Grants

Stephen J. Brady Stop Hunger Scholarships - Deadline: Dec. 5

Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation is looking for students, ages 5 to 25, who are fighting hunger in their communities. National Scholarship winners will receive a $10,000 scholarship and a $5,000 grant for their hunger-related charity.
Read more

Katie's Krops 2024 Grower Search - Deadline: Jan. 15

Youth ages 7 to 17 are eligible to apply to become a Katie's Krops Grower and start a garden in their community in the spring of 2024. Growers selected will receive funding to start their garden and have access to a private grower website with tools.
Read more

Feminine Hygiene Products Grant (FY24) - Application Now Open

The application for the Feminine Hygiene Products Grant Program for the 2023-2024 school year is now available. The Feminine Hygiene Products Grant Program provides grants of up to $5,000 per PSU to purchase feminine hygiene products. To receive this funding, your PSU will need to complete the following application in its entirety. Grants will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. PSUs that did not receive a grant in the previous fiscal year will be given preference. Please review the allotment policy (page 70) for more information. 

Click here to access the Feminine Hygiene Products Grant Program Application

If you have questions about the application or grant award process, please reach out to Lillian Pinto, Reproductive Health Consultant, via email: lillian.pinto@dpi.nc.gov.

Character Focused Solutions To The Mental Health Crisis Facing Teens  Character.org's Mental Health Advisory Team, led by Dr. Borba, offers four proven ways to equip young people with a range of character strengths they can use as a bulwark to the inevitable storms of life.

Professional Learning Opportunity: How to integrate Character Education in English Language Arts & 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 the 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.

The Secret to a Positive School Culture? Ask the Kids in the Hall

As school leaders look for ways to improve student engagement, instructional quality, and foster an ever-improving culture of learning, they are turning their attention to the classroom and all the spaces that impact students. That’s why digital hall passes are becoming the unexpected linchpin for school culture and climate. Find out how schools are using new technology to improve student movement and create better student outcomes.

Attendees will:

• Discover the connection between student movement on campus and school culture;
• Get practical strategies for building and maintaining a positive school culture; and 
• Identify tools that support these efforts.

Webinar: Integrating SEL and Character into Your Social Studies Classroom

December 6, 2023 @ 4-5pm EST 

Register

Are you looking to enhance your classroom experience and empower your students to become more empathetic, responsible, and caring citizens?  Join our 2023-2024 webinar series on integrating Character Education and Social Emotional Learning (SEL) into your social studies classrooms.

The second webinar in our SEL webinar series will focus on Responsible-Decision Making. During this session, you’ll learn Responsible-Decision Making strategies that empower your students to think critically, make ethical choices, and contribute positively to society. The webinar will feature our partner, EVERFI who will share helpful tips and no-cost instructional materials that can be used to teach this competency.

2023-2024 On-Demand Professional Learning 

How to Become a State and National School of Character 

Watch this recorded presentation to help you complete the application for the State and/or National School of Character. The webinar will help you navigate the application. Participants will also understand how to write the best narrative and provide the best artifacts that support the implementation of the 11 principles of character education.

Watch Here 

Password: Character1 (Case Sensitive)

Helpful resources included in the professional development include:

• Action Plan for Writing Your Application
• Scoring guide
• Capsule summary sheet

Integrating Character Education and Social-Emotional 

Watch this recorded presentation to help you enhance your classroom experience and empower your students to become more empathetic, responsible, and caring citizens. This presentation will help you discover practical strategies to help your students regulate emotions, set goals, and demonstrate self-discipline.

Watch Here

Password: Selfmanagement1 (Case Sensitive)

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.  

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.