Number 10

Register to Crunch! 🍎

Plan ahead for the 2025 #NCCrunch - registration is now live! Through the NC Crunch, kids and adults can taste and learn about North Carolina-grown fruits and vegetables with their schools, early care and education sites, organizations, families and communities for #FarmtoSchoolMonth in October. The NC Crunch is also an opportunity to thank all those involved in feeding our communities.

Sign up to receive a free guide with tips and resources to help you plan for the NC Crunch. In addition to the guide, the NC Crunch logo, flyer, “I crunched” sticker template, social media graphics and more are available at the link below.

Learn more, access free resources and register for the #NCCrunch.

Number 9

Registration Open for NC Conference on Arts Education

Join the NCDPI Arts Education Team at the Comprehensive Arts Education Conference on Saturday, September 6 in Raleigh.

The NCDPI Arts Education day-long conference, hosted by Meredith College and proudly supported by NCMEA, serves as a statewide professional development opportunity for arts educators, district arts education leaders, teaching artists, arts integration specialists and pre-service teachers from across North Carolina working in K-12 programs, independent studios, performing arts organizations and higher education institutions.

The mission of this conference is to support the three essential components of the North Carolina Comprehensive Arts Education Model: Arts Education, Arts Integration and Arts Exposure. Sessions will be centered on the four K-12 Arts Education Standards core strands of Connect, Create, Present and Respond in Dance, Music, Theatre and Visual Arts.

Learn more and register for the conference here.

Number 8

District Highlight: Durham Public Schools - "Internship Offers Durham Students Hands-on Training, Mentorship Toward Medical Careers" 🧑‍⚕️

"Durham high schoolers are training with cutting edge surgical equipment during a summer internship. More than 20 students from 13 Durham high schools have the opportunity as part of the MaryAnn Black Internship Program at Duke University.

'I’ve always said I wanted to be a surgeon for a long time,' said Gracious David. 'But, when I went to this program, it opened my eyes to other opportunities within the medical field.'

David, a rising 11th grader at City of Medicine Academy, said she learned about the internship opportunity through the Youth Works program.

She told WRAL her goal is to one day return to Duke for her residency and take a job serving the community that raised her."

Read the full story here.

Number 7

12 North Carolina Public Schools Receive Recognized ASCA Model Program (RAMP) Designation for 2025 from the American School Counselor Association

RAMP-designated schools are committed to delivering a comprehensive, data-driven school counseling program and an exemplary educational environment. Congrats to the following schools on achieving this designation:

• Alston Ridge Elementary (Wake County Public School System)
• Barnette Elementary (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools)
• Barton Pond Elementary (Wake County Public School System)
• Carnage Magnet Middle (Wake County Public School System)
• Charles E. Boger Elementary (Cabarrus County Schools)
• Mills Park Middle (Wake County Public School System)
• Perry W. Harrison Elementary (Chatham County Schools)
• Powell Magnet Elementary (Wake County Public School System)
• Pumpkin Center Primary (Lincoln County Schools, NC)
• Rolesville High (Wake County Public School System)
• Walker-Spivey Elementary (Cumberland County Schools)
• Willow Spring High (Wake County Public School System)

In addition, six North Carolina schools have renewed their RAMP status:

• Cabarrus Early College of Technology (Cabarrus County Schools)
• Middle Creek High (Wake County Public School System)
• Southeast Raleigh Magnet High (Wake County Public School System)
• Vernon Malone College and Career Academy (Wake County Public School System)
• West Lake Elementary (Wake County Public School System)
• Wildwood Forest Magnet Elementary (Wake County Public School System)

Learn more about the program here. 

Number 6

District Highlight: Craven County Schools - Serving as a Summer Hunger Hero

No Kid Hungry recently announced their annual Summer Hunger Heroes awardees, comprising of thirteen honorees hailing from ten states across the country who have shown outstanding commitment to summer hunger relief. This year’s heroes have gone above and beyond to expand summer meals in rural communities and broaden the impact of SUN Bucks.

One of the 2025 Summer Hunger Hero honorees is Lauren Weyand, Director of School Nutrition for Craven County Schools. Weyand is a huge advocate of SUN Bucks and getting the word out about summer meals to families in her community. She is a big supporter of farm to school, the use of local foods, the expansion of school breakfast and summer meals.

Congratulations, Lauren! Thank you for all you do. Read more about the Summer Hunger Hero recognition here.

Number 5

Three North Carolina Educators Honored as NC Symphony 2025 Music Educator Awardees 🎼 

Congratulations to the following North Carolina music educators who have received the 2025 annual North Carolina Symphony Music Educator Awards:

• Maxine Swalin Award for Outstanding Music Educator: Jana Winders, Lucama and Vick Elementary Schools (Wilson County Schools)
• Jackson Parkhurst Award for Special Achievement: Amanda Tant, Hendersonville Middle and High Schools (Henderson County Public Schools)
• North Carolina Symphony Musicians Award: Grant Logan, St. Stephens High (Catawba County Schools)

Learn more about these outstanding teachers and the Symphony’s Music Educator Awards program here. Congratulations, Jana, Amanda and Grant! 

Number 4

NCDPI’s Global Languages Endorsement (GLE) Team Seeking Student Spotlight Submissions 🌎

NCDPI’s GLE team is seeking Student Spotlight submissions from all public school units to recognize students who have satisfied the requirements of the GLE, North Carolina’s Seal of Biliteracy!

Help us celebrate and elevate student language achievements!

Submit a student spotlight here.

Number 3

District Highlight: Burke County Schools - "Burke County Teacher Completes STEM Fellowship in Germany" 🔬

"Andrea Gladden, a Technical Education and Project Lead the Way (PLTW) teacher at East Burke Middle School, was recently selected from hundreds of applicants nationwide to participate in the prestigious Transatlantic Outreach Program (TOP) fellowship in Germany. The highly competitive program offers educators the opportunity to study abroad and explore how STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) is integrated into education, industry and sustainability initiatives across Germany.

Gladden traveled with a cohort of educators from around the world from June 14–28, 2025. During the two-week study tour, she visited schools, businesses, universities, government offices and cultural institutions to gain a deeper understanding of contemporary Germany and how the country addresses many of the same educational and societal challenges faced in the United States."

Congratulations on completing this incredible opportunity, Andrea! Read more here. 

Number 2

Statement from the State Board of Education Chair and the State Superintendent of Public Instruction on the Release of Federal Education Funds

"We have received official notification from the U.S. Department of Education that previously frozen federal education funds for North Carolina have arrived. This includes over $130 million in Title I-C, II-A, III-A and IV-A funding that our schools, educators and students have been counting on.

With this release, North Carolina students and educators will have access to funds for a variety of uses including English language instruction, professional development for thousands of teachers, services for migratory students and academic enrichment programs. We appreciate the efforts of all who advocated for the release of these funds.

While the delay created unnecessary uncertainty, we can now focus on what matters most — providing excellent educational opportunities for all North Carolina public school students."

Number 1

District Highlight: Watauga County Schools - "Multiple Staff Honored for Roles in Saving WHS Student's Life"

"Watauga County Schools presented its highest honor to five staff members who helped save the life of a Watauga High School student.

Sgt. Maj. Derek Lisowski, 1st Sgt. Michael Maylum, SRO Seth Morrison, Health Science Cindy Lentz and Assistant Principal Daniel Machon were given the Servant’s Heart Award for their actions on March 28 when WHS student Chandler McGuire went into cardiac arrest at the football field during JROTC training.

'On March 28, I was at a superintendent conference in Raleigh, and actually sat in on a session about school safety,' WCS Superintendent Leslie Alexander said during the July 14 Board of Education meeting.

At that session on school safety, they were asked, 'What is it that you worry most about?'

'I remember I said, "I think we do a good job getting our safety drills in, and our folks are really focused on that." What I think I worry about at night is, "Will people remember what to do?"' Alexander said. 'Even though you’ve gone through the training in that moment, will you really remember what to do?'

Shortly after that, she received a text that paramedics were on the way to the high school as there was a cardiac arrest."

Read the full story here.