Number 10

Find Free NC Summer Meals for Children and Teens

When school is out, the NC Summer Meals Programs provide nutritious meals, fitness and fun through educational enrichment at no cost for youth ages 18 and under! No registration or ID is required.

To find nutritious summer meals at no cost near you for kids and teens:

• Text "Food" to 304-304 for information in English or “COMIDA” to 304-304 for information in Spanish
• Use the NC Site Finder Map
• Check your local school district's website, social media or other communications
• Learn more about NC Summer Meals Programs

Number 9

"School Librarians Are Creating Free Book Fairs. Here’s How" - Article Highlighting NC Public School Librarians

"Everything about book fairs felt wrong to Julia Stivers. As a parent volunteer at the book fair, she would watch teachers bring their classes through, and see how students would be split: those who could buy something, and those who couldn’t. She remembers students sitting on the floor, waiting for their peers to finish buying books and trinkets.

After she became a school librarian, she said, someone suggested that she host a book fair as a way to raise funds for the library. The answer was no, she told them.

At least, she decided, it wouldn’t be a traditional, for-profit book fair. It would be, as a student later termed it to her, a 'True Book Fair.'

The first was eight years ago at Mount Vernon Middle School in Raleigh, North Carolina. It was a year-long hustle, as she describes it, to find high-quality, new, popular books. She used family engagement dollars already in the budget to purchase books and host a family event in the evening. The next day, teachers came by with their classes. Every student could leave with a free book."

Read the full story here. 

Number 8

Free Resource: Digital Literacy Program for K-12 Students

Help your students become healthy digital citizens with ISTE+ASCD's new Digital Citizenship Lessons! Each of the five digital citizenship competencies is explored through learning activities tailored for different grade levels, ensuring that students of all ages can develop the skills and knowledge necessary to grow and thrive as digital citizens.

The program covers identifying trusted online resources, understanding information bubbles, developing healthy cyber friendships and more. 

Learn more and see the Digital Citizenship Lessons, organized by grade band, here. 

Number 7

Highlights of the 2024 North Carolina Public School Budget Now Available

NCDPI has published the Highlights of the 2024 NC Public School Budget report. You can find the report here. 

Learn more about the report in this article from EdNC.

"In the report, you can find out how many students, teachers, and schools we have; the maximum amount of money your superintendent can make; class size ratios; how many districts are considered low wealth or small; how much state money goes to each charter; who received Needs-Based Public School Construction Grants, and more."

Number 6

Battelle for Kids Report Featuring Superintendent Truitt: "The Future of the Portrait of a Graduate"

"At Battelle for Kids, we have had the distinct honor of supporting the creation and implementation of collective visions for communities nationwide. We are proud to release this special Futurecast report with insights from a decade of facilitating the creation of these collective community visions, thought leadership from education leaders from around the nation, original and curated research, and a call-to-action to join the Portrait of a Graduate movement as we work to prepare future-ready students for a rapidly changing, complex world."

Learn more about the report and obtain a copy here. There is an accompanying webinar, Portrait of a Graduate: A Decade of Transforming Education, about the report that features education leaders including State Superintendent Catherine Truitt. 

Number 5

Last Call for AIM 2024 Conference Proposals - Deadline June 30

The 2024 AIM Conference will be held on Oct. 7-9 at the Raleigh Convention Center. This agency-wide event is an excellent opportunity to share expertise with the field. The proposal window for the conference has been extended and will close on June 30.

Submit proposals through the 2024 AIM Call for Proposals form. In an effort to assist you with the completion of the Call for Proposal, you may want to complete a 2024 AIM Conference Call for Proposals Worksheet.

The proposal window will be open through June 30. Individuals selected for presentation will be notified of acceptance status by July 12.

Number 4

NCCAT Beginning Teacher Badge

Beginning teachers can earn an NCCAT Beginning Teacher Badge by completing all four sessions in the series that will start in September. Teachers will build their professional toolbox as well as a collaborative network.

Learn more and apply here. 

Number 3

NCBOLD 2024 July Regional Conferences and NCSIS Training

NCBOLD returns this summer as a two-day conference in each of the eight educational regions. Explore engaging instructional sessions, Data Manager training, Digital Literacy, AI for Teachers and E-Rate Boot Camp. This year’s NCBOLD will include training on the new NCSIS! Session topics will include the gradebook, learning management system and attendance features of the new system.

Conference dates will vary by region, but will be between July 15 and July 25.

Learn more, including specific regional conference dates, here.

Number 2

"On the Record with Superintendent Catherine Truitt: ‘I Have Zero Regrets’" - EdNC Feature

"Superintendent Catherine Truitt and I sat down for a conversation last week at EdNC’s annual retreat with our board, strategic council, and team.

I think Truitt and I first met when EdNC held our student town hall in February 2020 in Edgecombe County ahead of that year’s election.

Abdur, one of Principal Matt Bristow-Smith’s students who we had the privilege to get to know, asked the then-candidates for superintendent, 'who are you' over and over — and over and over again. We learned from local school leaders that this is a customary way of getting to know each other better in that district."

Read the full story here. 

Number 1

New Program Will Create Job Opportunities in Drone Industry for NC High School Graduates

"As the drone industry continues its rapid expansion, a new program is creating exciting career prospects for North Carolina’s high school students in the Uncrewed Ariel Systems (UAS) field, thanks to a partnership between the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) and Zipline, the world’s largest autonomous delivery service.

The demand for highly skilled UAS operators and flight operations professionals is on the rise, and this one-of-a-kind partnership provides an innovative pathway program aimed at preparing students for professional UAS careers at Zipline. To qualify, students must graduate high school, successfully complete the UAS pathway program, meet GPA requirements and provide a written letter of recommendation from a faculty member."

Read the full press release here.