Calling All STEM Reviewers!!
Your Support is Greatly Appreciated
The 2024-2025 North Carolina STEM Schools of Distinction Recognition Program is underway. With nearly 20 schools across the state having communicated their Intent to be recognized as a leading STEM program in North Carolina, we are asking for STEM educational leaders, who have familiarity with the STEM Schools of Distinction process, to assist with the Peer Review of this year's applications.
Individuals presently leading within a NC recognized STEM school, or any individuals who have served as past SSoD reviewers, are asked to provide updated contact information by completing this Reviewer Application by December 20th.
There will be a required Reviewer training. More information on this training will be available soon. This year's application submissions will be shared by January 13th and reviewers will have through January 24th to complete their individual review and share feedback. The number of reviewers assigned will be dependent upon the final number of submitted applications.
Thank you for continuing to drive quality STEM education in North Carolina!
Application for the K-12 Math Standard Course of Study Data Review Committee (DRC)
On behalf of the NC Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI), the K-12 Math Team is excited to announce the start of the review process of the NC Math K-12 Standard Course of Study. The process is guided by the North Carolina Standard Course of Study (NCSCOS) Procedures Manual, adopted by the NC State Board of Education in February 2022, emphasizing communication, transparency, engagement, and stakeholder participation in all phases of this process.
A key part of the review process is to establish a Data Review Committee (DRC). The DRC is responsible for reviewing feedback collected from interviews, focus groups, survey responses for stakeholders, and research from other states as well as national/international organizations. DRC members will collaborate to analyze the data and create recommendations for a separate Standards Writing Team (SWT) to consider and use to revise existing standards. Click here to read the full DRC Scope of Work (SOW).
NCDPI is seeking applications from a range of stakeholders with experience in reviewing and compiling data including K-12 educators from all grade levels, content areas, and resource specialists. Equally important are school/district leaders, educators from institutions of higher education, as well as business and community leaders.
All DRC members will be asked to participate in an in-person kick-off event on January 29th-31st in Asheboro, NC.
In the Spring of 2025, NCDPI will also seek applicants to participate in the revision/writing process by serving on the Standards Writing Team (SWT). If you are also interested in being a part of the SWT, a separate application will come in mid-Spring of 2025. Individuals can only serve on one of these two committees.
DRC applications are due by 8:00am EST, Monday December 2nd, 2024. All applicants will be notified of their selection status between Monday, December 16th, 2024, and January 10th, 2025.
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The North Carolina K-12 Science Standards Canvas Hub is a repository to provide all Science stakeholders a variety of resources for supporting school leaders, administrators, educators, and parents/caregivers.
Did you know...
- The K-12 Science Standards have been translated into Spanish. You can find them in the K-12 Science Standards button on the K-12 Science Standards Canvas Hub.
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K-12 Math Standards Resource Hub
The NCDPI K-12 Mathematics team has created a repository to provide a variety of resources for supporting school leaders, administrators, educators, and parents/caregivers. The NC K-12 Math Standards Resource Hub houses the standards, communications, and recommended resources related to the implementation of the North Carolina K-12 Math Standard Course of Study (NCSCOS).
The hub includes:
- K-12 standards and unpacking documents
- Previous PD presentations, recordings, and resources
- At Home Resource Guides for parent/guardians
- Math Options Chart aligned to post graduation plans
- STEM Content Integration
Math educators are encouraged to browse, reference, download, share, discuss, and adapt resources.
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Education has always been at the core of the mission of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR). For over 50 years, we have worked to instill a lifelong love of learning among students of all ages through our numerous museums, state parks, historic sites, zoo, aquariums, libraries, the symphony, archives, arts council, commissions, and more. A core part of DNCR’s mission is to support the incredible work of our state’s K-12 teachers, of all disciplines and in each region of the state.
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The North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) is thrilled to announce the launch of the Learning Happens Here Field Trip Fund! Public schools throughout North Carolina can now apply for financial support to engage in enriching, experiential field trips at DNCR’s 100+ sites in each region of the state!
Operated by DNCR, made possible with funding from the State of North Carolina, and managed in partnership with PBS North Carolina, this initiative reflects our commitment to ensuring that North Carolina students have access to valuable learning opportunities outside the classroom.
- 100+ eligible field trip destinations across North Carolina
- Funding available from state of NC for public school field trips (priority given to Title 1 schools and Tier 1 counties)
- Applications must be submitted at least 8 weeks before the field trip’s planned date
All over North Carolina, from the mountains to the coast, learning happens here!
The 14th Annual Nonformal Educators' Meeting
The N.C. Department of Public Instruction is partnering with the N.C. Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs to bring nonformal educators from across the state together in one place.
We hope you will join us for the 14th Annual Nonformal Educators’ Meeting on December 10, 2024, at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh.
This meeting gives nonformal educators the opportunity to discuss and develop strategies for addressing the new N.C. Science Standards directly with DPI staff. This meeting will be of special interest to educators at environmental education centers as well as educators with organizations and agencies that provide science education programs and outreach to K-12 students.
Registration is now open! The deadline for registration is December 1, 2024.
Get Ready for the Hour of Code
The Hour of Code is happening December 9th-15th during Computer Science Education Week! Join millions worldwide in demystifying coding through workshops, challenges, and fun activities. The Hour of Code is a global movement reaching tens of millions of students in 180+ countries. Anyone, anywhere can organize an Hour of Code event or try any of the 100 one-hour tutorials, available in over 45 languages.
Here are a few ideas to help you get started!
Apply or Nominate Educators for Prestigious Shell Awards
Did you know that you or a colleague may be eligible for the Shell Science Teaching Award or the Shell Urban Science Educators Development Award? Both awards are open to K–12 classroom science educators, and both come with prizes that include funding to attend an NSTA national conference. NSTA and Shell know how dedicated science educators can be, and they want to recognize you for it.
Submit your application or nominate a deserving colleague by December 19.
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Meet Khanmigo: Your free, AI-powered teaching assistant
Khanmigo for Teachers is now 100% free!
Sign up for free today and start checking items off your to-do list.
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Presenter Proposals Open December 3rd
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Registration Opens on Monday, January 13th
Please note: Plans originally were to have the conference in Hickory, NC. However, with all of the devastation to our colleagues in western NC it would be quite difficult for elementary educators from that part of the state to attend a spring conference (when they will likely be in full "catch up" mode). Building Engineers looks to return to the western part of the state in the spring of 2026!
Now Seeking Sponsorships / Partnerships:
If you know of any organizations or vendors who bring VALUE to teachers and would like to get the word out, please send them this link. Sponsors/vendors keep this conference free each year!
Every year, EngineerGirl hosts a contest dealing with engineering and its impact on our world. The topic and detailed instructions for the contest are posted in September with a deadline for submissions on February 1st of the following year. Winners are announced in the summer.
The 2025 EngineerGirl Writing Contest asks students to write a piece describing a common object you would make "smart". Tell us what it would do, how it would help people, and what could go wrong.
The contest is open to all students, of any gender, in grades 3-12 and the deadline is February 1, 2025. The prize for first place in each of three grade categories is $1,000. There is also a note for educators and tips for using the contest in a classroom on the EngineerGirl website.
NC DPI STEM Consultant
Howard Ginsburg
howard.ginsburg@dpi.nc.gov
If you are currently not subscribed and would like to receive future releases of STEMtastic News, please visit the NCDPI Subscriptions webpage and register for the NCDPI STEM newsletter. You will first be prompted to enter your email to create an account. Once your account is created, return to the NCDPI Subscriptions webpage to choose your interests.
Disclaimer Statement
Because North Carolina is a local-control state, all curricular decisions are approved at the local level. Prior to implementing any of the materials, teachers should follow appropriate policies and procedures to have content vetted and approved by their school and district leaders.
The links on this resource could bring you to third-party websites, owned and operated by independent parties over which NCDPI has no control. Any link you make to or from these 3rd Party Websites will be at your own risk. 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.
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