Number 10

N.C. Youth Outdoor Engagement Commission’s Go Outside (GO) Grant

What is the N.C. Youth Outdoor Engagement Commission’s Go Outside (GO) Grant?
The N.C. Youth Outdoor Engagement Commission provides outdoor learning opportunities for youth across the state of North Carolina. This state-wide grant program directly supports the construction of outdoor learning facilities and experiential learning trips and programs.

What organizations are eligible to apply for a GO Grant?
Eligible organizations must qualify as either a North Carolina K-12 school, or nonprofit organization.

Learn more about the grant and apply here. 

Number 9

School Bus Driver Appreciation Week and Love the Bus Month

February is Love the Bus Month, and this February 12-16 is School Bus Driver Appreciation Week! 

Love the Bus is a time to show gratitude towards the dedicated professionals who ensure the safety of students on their journey to and from school. This initiative is a meaningful way to recognize the diverse group of individuals who make the yellow school bus experience possible for students.

This year, the National Association for Pupil Transportation (NAPT) has released a new digital resource toolkit and guide that schools and districts can utilize to celebrate Love the Bus Month.

Number 8

2024 NC Teacher Working Conditions (TWC) Reminders

Throughout the month of January NCDPI hosted a series of NC TWC webinars. The links to those webinars can be found here.

NCDPI will continue to host NC TWC office hours every Thursday from 4-5 p.m. through March 29. Join office hours here.

As a reminder for TWC Coordinators, if you have not already done so, please confirm or update your school's expected survey count. If you have questions about this, please email NCTWC@dpi.nc.gov.

Number 7

NCDPI Accepting Summer 2024 Internship Applications - Deadline Feb. 26

NCDPI is excited to offer an internship program designed to invite both undergraduate and graduate-level students pursuing degrees in public policy, public administration, education, communication, business management and related fields into the heart of a state government agency. All internships are paid internships. Interns can expect one-on-one guidance from agency staff, opportunities to meet with agency leaders, and the ability to contribute to the work of advocating for and supporting educators and students across North Carolina.
Internship applicants should specify their personal and professional goals in their application documents in order to best pair successful candidates with relevant projects and teams within the Department. Opportunities exist for internships in various fields and with a number of different work units, including opportunities in research, communication, data analytics, legislative affairs, and program management.

Interested candidates are encouraged to review the list of available 2024 summer internship opportunities prior to submitting an application. Learn more about internships at NCDPI and find the online application here. The deadline to apply is February 26.

Number 6

World Languages Draft 2 General Survey

State Board of Education policy specifies that the NC Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) will formally collect feedback on the draft revised standards from educators, administrators, parents, students, institutions of higher education, business/industry representatives, and other education agencies. The purpose of this survey is to obtain input from educators and stakeholders familiar with the World Languages Standard Course of Study in order to inform revision decisions.

The NCDPI World Languages team requests your thoughtful input and comments on Draft 2 of the revised academic standards for World Languages to inform the revision process.

Complete the general feedback survey here. The survey will close on March 4.

Number 5

2024: The Cliff is Coming "Regional Sessions for Continued Recovery"

In response to the upcoming ESSER funding cliff, the Office of Learning Recovery and Acceleration (OLR) will be hosting 10 regional workshops in February focused on new student outcome datasets and utilizing the ESSER Funding Cliff Toolkit. The purpose of these sessions is to provide PSU leaders with relevant information and data around ESSER expenditures and student outcomes as well as resources to understand which ESSER investments were most effective. Session participants will leave with an understanding of how to use a data-driven approach to evaluate investments and make sound budgeting decisions beyond September 2024. Review the draft agenda for more information about sessions and schedule.

Due to site capacity and funding, these sessions are limited to 6 attendees per district and 3 attendees per charter school. Please work with your district or school leaders to assemble a team of key decision makers around ESSER and budgeting. We suggest including at least the CFO, the Federal Programs Director, and Superintendent or designee.

To register to attend a regional event, click here or bit.ly/OLRWinter24. Once you register, you will receive an automated email that contains the address of the session you registered to attend.

If you have any questions, please contact the OLR Project Manager, Jay Johnson, at jay.johnson@dpi.nc.gov or ARP Program Administrator, Dr. Richard Lewis, at richard.lewis@dpi.nc.gov.

Number 4

Quarterly PIO Call Follow-Up

LEA and Charter Communication Leaders, if you were unable to attend the Quarterly PIO Call on February 7 and did not receive the follow-up email, please reach out to communciations@dpi.nc.gov.

Number 3

Educators Invited to Apply for Governor’s Educator Discovery Award

The Governor’s Educator Discovery Awards recognize the value of quality professional development for teachers at all phases of their careers. The program will provide a stipend of up to $1,000 for preK-12 traditional public and public charter school teachers to pursue a professional development experience of their choosing.

Teachers can use the grant award to attend a workshop or conference that deepens their subject area knowledge, such as a coding workshop for computer science teachers, or a session on how to create a project-based learning experience for students. Applicants need to describe how their participation in the professional development experience will enhance their efforts to create a work-based learning activity for their students.

The deadline to apply is February 19. Learn more and apply here.

Number 2

Education Matters Episode on NC Teacher Working Conditions (TWC) Survey

Check out the latest episode of NC Education Matters where Dr. Jeni Corn, Director of the Office of Research and Evaluation at NCDPI, and North Carolina Teachers and Principals of the Year discuss the newly improved NC Teacher Working Conditions Survey for 2024, which opens March 1, and working conditions for NC teachers. 

Watch the episode here. 

Number 1

Future Focused, Career Ready: A Conversation with Superintendent Catherine Truitt and NC Chamber CEO Gary Salamido

Last week NCDPI, in collaboration with the NC Chamber, released a toolkit to assist employers in connecting with K-12 education to strengthen their talent pipelines. 

Click here to watch the recorded conversation with Superintendent Truitt and NC Chamber CEO Gary Salamido to learn more about the toolkit and connecting K-12 education and the workforce in North Carolina.