UPDATE INCLUDES: 

SPOTLIGHT ON CHARACTER

• February Character Challenge: #KindnessMattersNC

• "We Believe In You" Promising Practice 

OPPORTUNITIES & AWARDS 

• Laws of Life Essay Contest 
• Martin Luther King Day of Service 

• Call for Proposals: Growing Success for Multilingual Learners 2024 Summer Conference

• Grants
• Go Global NC

INSTRUCTIONAL TOOLS & RESOURCES  

• 11 Principle of Character Revised Guidebook 

• Character Focused Solutions To The Mental Health Crisis Facing Teens 

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

• On-Demand Professional Learning 

• Office of Academic Standards Yearlong Outlook 

February Character Challenge: #KindnessMattersNC

"🌟 Embrace the spirit of kindness throughout February with our #KindnessMattersNC Challenge! Inspired by the heartwarming stories shared by Steve Hartman, this month-long initiative encourages teachers, leaders, students, and families to engage in daily acts of kindness. Whether integrated into morning meetings and content area classes, each day presents an opportunity for reflection, writing, and fostering a culture of compassion.

📝 Access daily videos and journal prompts to guide your reflections. 

🗓️ Mark your calendars! Random Act of Kindness Day is celebrated on February 17 every year. We're extending the celebration throughout the month, making February dedicated to spreading kindness.

📸 Share your experiences on social media using the hashtag #KindnessMattersNC!  Teachers and leaders are encouraged to spread positivity by showing how kindness has impacted the school or encouraging students to create their own kindness videos—just like Steve Hartman! Educators can submit evidence of school initiatives or student work to NCDPI using the link provided. Your submissions may be featured on our NCDPI social media, newsletters, and website. Also, be sure to share your experiences on your social media using the hashtag #KindnessMattersNC!  

Let's celebrate February with kindness, compassion, and uplifting stories. Together, we can create a ripple effect of positivity that extends far beyond our classrooms.

#KindnessMattersNC 

"We Believe In You" Promising Practice Truman Elementary, located in Pacific, Missouri, received a Promising Practice for their "Truman 10 x 2, We Believe in YOU!" initiative. For 10 days in a row, two minutes a day, every adult in the building intentionally connects with a student that they did not previously know. This practice supports the school's commitment to create a caring community where ALL students feel a sense of belonging.     Click here to see the video of this practice in action.

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.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service

Call for Proposals: Growing Success for Multilingual Learners 2024 Summer Conference   New Locations - Meet in Asheville in June or Topsail in July!   Virtual Option - Can't make it in person? Join virtually in August!   Share your Expertise -  All educators are invited to submit proposals for the 2024 Growing Success for MLs Conference.   Learn more and submit a session proposal!

Grant Opportunities 

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.

 Go Global NC Opportunities 

Each year Go Global NC leads a delegation of North Carolina educators on an international professional development program. The purpose is to gain insight into different education systems and cultures around the world that will enrich our teachers and strengthen North Carolina classrooms. Go Global NC is very excited to once again be able to offer this opportunity for the summer of 2024 through the generosity of the Borchardt Fund.

This comprehensive professional development program will begin with an in-depth orientation (including both virtual and in-person sessions), followed by a transformative in-country immersion experience, and an action-planning follow up workshop to synthesize lessons learned and prepare delegates to share global perspectives with students, colleagues, and communities.

Program goals for Global Teachers- South Korea 2024 include:

1.     Learn about the history, culture, and socio-political structures of this diverse country

2.     Gain insight into South Korea’s diverse education systems, including challenges, opportunities, initiatives, and success stories

3.     Utilize a STEM-focused perspective to experience the physical environment and understand why South Korea is becoming a leader in innovations to reduce waste and achieve goals for carbon neutrality

4.     Discover global challenges shared with North Carolina and explore examples of local initiatives

5.     Network and collaborate with other educators to implement global education and perspectives in North Carolina classrooms

Global Teachers-South Korea 2024 Mandatory Program Dates

• Orientation seminar
• Three virtual speaker evening events 2 hours each: TBA (March & April)
• Full day in-person orientation in Raleigh: April 27^th, 2024
• Immersion Study Program in South Korea: June 15^th-26^th , 2024
• Follow-up workshop: October 12^th, 2024

Eligibility

Global Teachers- South Korea 2024 program is designed for North Carolina K-12 teachers from all grade levels and subject areas. Educators from Chapel Hill-Carrboro, Chatham, Durham, Orange and Wake school systems are eligible to apply for the Borchardt Award. Recipients will be selected from among these school districts.

Application Process

• Applications are due by: January 9th, 2024, at 11:59 PM with no exceptions.
• Application review will take place from January 10th to January 26th, applicants will be notified whether or not they will be invited to interview on January 30th.
• Interviews will take place virtually February 10th and 17th. If invited to interview, you must be available to interview one of those days. 
• We will do our best to accommodate individual schedules, but it may not be possible in all cases. The selection committee will base their decisions on the strength of application responses, interviews, and letters of recommendation.

Program Cost and Borchardt Award
The Borchardt Award will cover $6,050 of the $6,500 program fee. Award recipients are responsible for covering the remaining $450.00. The program fee covers international economy round-trip airfare from Raleigh or Charlotte, airport taxes, health insurance during the international portion of the program, double-room hotel accommodations, most meals, ground transportation abroad, and program costs in South Korea. The program fee also includes the following orientation and follow-up costs: speakers, facilities, some meals, materials, and an information handbook.

Contact (rachel.rosenbaum@globalnc.org ) if you have any questions.

SCHOOL COUNSELORS are eligible to apply!!! Click here to apply.

11 Principles Guidebook

Character.org has released the newly-revised version of the 11 Principles Framework for Schools: A Guide to Cultivating a Culture of Character. The Guidebook explains each principle and key indicators, along with recent school-based examples. 

Learn More or Purchase.

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.

Adolescent Mental Wellness in Crisis: What Can High Schools Do?

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.  

2023-2024 On-Demand Professional Learning 

Integrating Character Education and Social-Emotional Learning in Social Studies 

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.

Integrating "Self Management" In Your Classroom: Discover practical strategies to help your students regulate emotions, set goals, and demonstrate self-discipline. 

Password: Selfmanagement1 (Case Sensitive)

Integrating "Responsible Decision-Making" In Your Classroom: Strategies to empower your students to think critically, make ethical choices, and contribute positively to society.

Password: Responsible1  (Case Sensitive)

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