BECOME A SCHOOL OF CHARACTER

APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN!

The 2026 Schools of Character application is now available! If your school is ready to grow its character education journey—or if you're just starting to explore the process—now is the perfect time to begin.

Visit the Schools of Character page to:

• Determine your school’s readiness
• Explore new and updated resources
• Begin your application with confidence

Don’t miss the newly updated Guide to Apply, which walks you through the redesigned evaluation cycle and offers step-by-step support for a successful application.

If you need help with your application, contact Justyn Burgess

Free Webinar: The Power of Choosing Love

Join NCDPI for an inspiring webinar featuring Scarlett Lewis. Scarlett is the mother of Jesse Lewis, one of the children who lost his life in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy. Since then, she has dedicated her life to spreading the message of choosing love over anger. Scarlett’s journey from unimaginable tragedy to transformation gave rise to a global movement rooted in three powerful words: 

NURTURING        HEALING       LOVE

• Discover the origins of the Choose Love Movement and Scarlett’s journey of healing
• Learn how the Choose Love Formula strengthens school culture, student well-being, and
  community connection
• Hear evidence of impact from schools and communities already using Choose Love.
• Leave inspired and equipped with practical tools to bring Choose Love into daily practice

Teaching the History of the Holocaust from an ELA Lens

A Holocaust & Genocide Studies Elective Workshop

Workshop Description

Registration is open for a one-day workshop on Teaching the History of the Holocaust from an ELA Lens. Join NCDPI K-12 Social Studies and the Stan Greenspan Holocaust Education Center for a day of professional learning designed to support teaching the Holocaust elective course through an ELA lens. Together, we will explore best practices in Holocaust pedagogy, examine how to triangulate literature with primary sources and historical context, and consider how this course can serve as a powerful response to today's rise in antisemitism.

Highlights will include the story of Holocaust survivor Abe Piasek, shared by former educator Steve Goldberg, and a special exhibit, "Remembering Through A Shared Experience, The Holocaust." Through Abe's story, participants will see how survivor narratives can be deepened and enriched when taught alongside historical documents, survivor testimony, and context. The exhibit recognizes and acknowledges the contributions of soldiers of color during WWII who liberated the Nazi concentration and labor camps.

Who Should Attend

This workshop will be relevant to:

• ELA/English educators teaching the new Holocaust elective;
• Social Studies educators teaching the new Holocaust elective; and
• And 6-12 educator teaching the Holocaust in an ELA or social studies course.

Logistics

• Date: Thursday, November 6, 2025
• Time: 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM
• Location: Raleigh, NC
• CEU Contact Hours: 10 (1.0 CEU)
• Presenter: Katie Cunningham, Assistant Director of the Stan Greenspan Center

This event is open to the first 30 people to register. Please contact Michelle McLaughlin, NCDPI K-12 Social Studies Consultant, with questions: michelle.mclaughlin@dpi.nc.gov.

FLYER - Teaching the NEW holocaust & genocide studies elective from an ELA Lens.pdf

There is no cost for the workshop. Get your registration in today!

Seats are filling up fast!

Exploring Holocaust Literature in the Classroom

During this free virtual program, experienced educators will discuss the importance of incorporating accurate historical context when teaching about the Holocaust in middle and high school classrooms. Highlighting instructional strategies that strengthen literacy skills, they will also explore resources based on the Museum’s primary source collection that help students understand how and why the Holocaust happened.

Bill of Rights Institute: Teaching Character Through History: Heroes and Villains

Date: Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025
Time: 7:00-8:00 PM EDT

Fuse character development and historical literacy in your classroom. Join the Bill of Rights on Tuesday, Oct. 28, for their new remote training, Teaching Character Through History: Heroes and Villains!

This remote training will highlight their character development curriculum, Heroes and Villains. Attendees will learn teaching techniques specific to the curriculum and how the Heroes and Villains curriculum promotes historical character analysis.

Combine the teaching strategies from the remote training and their free lessons and videos to incorporate rich narratives, critical questions, and meaningful discussions into your classroom with real-world, historic examples.

Online Course: Inquiry In the Social Studies Classroom

Are you ready to transform your teaching by fostering students' curiosity and critical thinking? Our online Canvas course is designed to equip social studies teachers with the tools and strategies needed to effectively implement inquiry-based learning.

In this course, you will learn how to:

• Align inquiry with NC Social Studies Standards
• Foster student questioning, engagement, and exploration
• Create a dynamic, inquiry-centered learning environment

This self-paced course offers practical guidance and actionable steps to elevate your teaching. You can also earn 1 CEU while gaining the skills to empower your students as lifelong learners through inquiry.

Deadline For Completion: December 31, 2025

Free Engaging Online Programs from the Bob and Marion Wilson Teacher Institute of Colonial Williamsburg

The Bob and Marion Wilson Teacher Institute is excited to offer free, engaging online programs for teachers every month. Each program offers teachers the chance to connect with experts, access resources, and earn professional development credit… all from the comfort of home!

EPF Legislated Professional Development Fall Schedule

NCCEE has published their fall 2025 professional development schedule that includes full days of professional development, a webinar series for October’s EconEd Month, and the fall offering of the EPF Institute--the PD required for all Economics and Personal Finance teachers.
For teachers who last attended an institute in 2020 or 2021, the session may be repeated.

November is Veterans' History Awareness Month in North Carolina

On June 28, 2017, Governor Roy Cooper signed into law, An Act To Establish Veterans’ History Awareness Month In November. This law intends to enable students to gain a better understanding of the meaning and importance of the contributions of American veterans and veterans from North Carolina. The North Carolina State Board of Education (NC SBE) is tasked with identifying recommended programs that schools can use during Veterans’ History Awareness Month.  

Did you know that North Carolina is the 4th largest state in the nation in the number of school-aged military dependents of active-duty personnel?

North Carolina is also home to over a quarter-million children of military retirees or veterans in every county in the state. Currently, there are more than 22 million Veterans who have served in the United States Armed Forces. Let us all thank and honor them in November.

For more information and to access additional resources, please view the Veterans' History Awareness Month flyer to help you and your students honor veterans. They can be used during this Veterans’ History Awareness Month or throughout the year.

Bring the Courts to Your Classroom with Courts4Civics

Looking to strengthen your students' understanding of the judicial branch and constitutional rights? Courts4Civics offers a wealth of free, ready-to-use resources designed to promote civic learning and bring real-world relevance to your classroom instruction.

Developed to serve educators, students, and community members across the Fourth Circuit—including North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland—Courts4Civics connects schools with judges and court personnel to support civics education through classroom visits, outreach programs, and professional resources.

Key Features and Offerings:

• Engaging lesson ideas and court-based learning activities tailored to promote critical thinking about the rule of law and the Constitution.
• Opportunities for judges and legal professionals to visit classrooms or speak with community groups, creating authentic learning experiences.
• Multistate outreach with resources applicable to classrooms across the Southeast, especially in North Carolina.
• Support for educators seeking to incorporate court literacy and civic responsibility into social studies, government, or history instruction.

Whether you're teaching about the Constitution, the role of courts, or current legal issues, Courts4Civics provides meaningful support to deepen students’ understanding of the justice system and their civic responsibilities.

Valencia Abbott is the 2025 North Carolina and National Gilder Lehrman History Teacher of the Year!

We are excited to announce that Valencia Abbott has been named the 2025 NC and National History Teacher of the Year!

Abbott is an educator with over two decades of experience and serves as the Social Studies Department chair and a civics teacher at Rockingham Early College High School in Wentworth, North Carolina. Her dedication has earned her numerous accolades, including the 2024 Civil Rights/Civil Liberties Excellence in Teaching Award and the 2024–2025 RECHS Teacher of the Year honor. She is also a 2024 United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Teacher Fellow and serves on multiple advisory boards, underscoring her commitment to education and civil rights.

As the national winner, Abbott will receive a $10,000 grand prize at a special ceremony on November 5, 2025, at the Harvard Club of New York City. The award will be presented by Pulitzer Prize–winner Stacy Schiff.

Would you like to Apply for the Gilder Lehrman History: Teacher of the Year Award?

The  2026 Gilder Lehrman History Teacher of the Year Award honors exceptional elementary and secondary school American history teachers (including state and local history). The national winner receives a $10,000 prize presented at an award ceremony in their honor in New York City. State winners receive a $1,000 prize, an archive of classroom resources, and recognition at a ceremony in their state.

Nominations for the Gilder Lehrman History Teacher of the Year awards are now open. Students, parents, colleagues, and supervisors may nominate K-12 teachers for the award.

Key Deadlines for 2026 Nominations

Deadline for 2026 nominations: April 30, 2026

NCCSS Awards are Open for Nominations & Teacher Grant Application

Celebrate Excellence in Social Studies!

The North Carolina Council for the Social Studies (NCCSS) is now accepting nominations for its annual awards, recognizing outstanding achievements in social studies teaching and education. The awards categories include: 

• Teacher of the Year (Elementary, Middle, and High School),
• Student Teacher of the Year, 
• Rho Kappa Scholarship, 
• Civil Rights/Civil Liberties Excellence in Teaching, and 
• Teacher Grant Awards supporting innovative programs.

Click here to read the detailed descriptions for each award. 

Winners will be honored at the annual state conference and receive cash awards or grants. Nominations are due October 31, 2025.

Awards from the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS)

Applications are now open!

•  Research Awards are designed to recognize substantive scholarly inquiry in social studies education.

Tryon Palace: Palace Scholars

Tryon Palace invites all educators at Title I schools in North Carolina to apply for a field trip award. Palace Scholars is an educational program which ensures that all students and educators regardless of geographic location or socioeconomic background, have the opportunity to benefit from multidisciplinary programs and field trip opportunities to Tryon Palace. This program hopes to connect present and future North Carolinians with their state history in an engaging learning format.

Applications are now available and will be accepted throughout the school year. For questions, please call 252-639-3524, or email palacescholars@tryonpalace.org.

NC History Day

Each year, hundreds of middle and high school students across North Carolina engage in deep historical inquiry through NC History Day, the state affiliate of National History Day® (NHD). This year’s theme—“Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History”—invites students to explore transformative moments and movements.

NC History Day is a free, flexible program for students in grades 6–12 that integrates into Social Studies curricula, regardless of geographic focus or historical period. Through NHD, students become researchers, writers, filmmakers, web designers, playwrights, and exhibit creators—all while building critical thinking, communication, and analytical skills.

For educators, it’s a powerful project-based learning model that can be done as an in-class project, independent study, school club, or after-school activity. We can also offer free access to WeVideo for Schools to support students and teachers with online video editing tools!

Participation in the optional spring contest season gives students the opportunity to present their work, sharpen interview skills, earn recognition, and compete for awards and unique academic opportunities on the local, state, or national level.

To learn more and access free classroom resources, visit nchistoryday.org or email nchistoryday@dncr.nc.gov. NC History Day is proudly managed by the NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

Global Scholars Program

Interested in growing student and teacher global competencies? This program is free of charge and enables teachers and students to connect with other classrooms worldwide. They provide training, a virtual platform, and supplemental curriculum. Teachers who participate in the Global Scholars program will be eligible to earn micro-credentials toward the Global Educator Digital Badge.

1. Global Scholars Program Information: Global Cities emphasizes direct peer-to-peer exchange as an essential component of global competency development. The video at the top of this page will help you understand how the Global Scholars Program, operated by Global Cities, makes this exchange possible.
2. Spotlight NYC: This video demonstrates the potential impact of GS on schools and student learning.
3. Spotlight Miami: Great example of how Global Scholars educators are finding ways to apply their learning to incorporate global competency education in their core curricula.
4. Additional Free Workshops

District leaders, please contact Kelly Schultz @ kelly.schultz@dpi.nc.gov to express your interest and connect you with the program.

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