Number 10

CFNC: "College of the Albemarle Wins Next NC Competition; Students Win Their Future"

"For Autumn Price, a human services major at the College of the Albemarle (COA), the Next NC Scholarship doesn’t just represent funding for a higher education, it represents hope.

She wanted to go back to college to improve her life and the lives of her children. And with the Next NC Scholarship, she was able to do that. But it also signals to her the possibility of achieving a future she didn’t think possible.

'My biggest barrier for not continuing my education past an associate’s degree is financial, but it’s scholarships like the Next NC scholarship that gives me hope that maybe I can pursue those higher degrees that I really want,' she said. 'I want to add some letters behind my name. I’ve worked my butt off.'

COA was the first-place winner in the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority’s (NCSEAA) Next NC Scholarship Social Media Challenge. Towards the end of the summer, the state’s community colleges competed to see who could promote the scholarship the most on their various social media channels."

Read the full article here. 

Number 9

NC AI Solve-a-Thon Statewide Challenge 

NCDPI's Office of Digital Teaching and Learning is launching the NC AI Solve-a-Thon—a first-of-its-kind statewide challenge for students in grades 6–12! This initiative offers students an opportunity to build creativity, collaboration, problem-solving and responsible technology skills.

Teams will:
🔍 Identify a local issue
🧠 Create an AI-powered solution
🎤 Pitch ideas this November; finalists compete Feb. 11, 2026, at the NCED Connect Symposium

Learn more and find additional details here.

Number 8

EdNC: "From Pilot Program to Statewide Model: How the Medicaid Learning Collaborative is Helping Districts Expand Mental Health Support for Students"

"Over the past decade, North Carolina’s students have experienced increasing mental health challenges. Data from the 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey showed that 39% of high school students reported feeling sad or hopeless, and the 2025 NC Child Health Report Card found that over 50% of children ages 3 to 17 faced difficulties accessing mental health treatment they needed.

'North Carolina faces a youth mental health crisis,' said Dr. Ellen Essick, section chief at NC Healthy Schools within the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (DPI), in a press release.

Educators who work with students every day agree.

'I feel like the landscape of our students has been changing, so we have just a higher level of mental health needs,' said Jeannie Kerr, director of Project AWARE at Nash County Public Schools (NCPS).

'There has been an increase in mental health needs,' said Cathy Waugh, SISP Coordinator and McKinney-Vento Liaison at Person County Schools. 'I think you would get a similar answer from every district.'

Kerr and Waugh have both participated in the Medicaid Learning Collaborative (MLC), a cohort of districts receiving free technical assistance to help them better understand how to bill Medicaid for school-based mental health services. In its second year, the MLC is now supporting 19 districts and charter schools across North Carolina and is run by the eastern North Carolina based nonprofit Rural Opportunity Institute (ROI)."

Read the full article here. 

Number 7

Quarterly PIO Call Wednesday, Dec. 10 🧑‍💻

Public Information Officers and Charter School Communications Leaders are invited to join the quarterly PIO call on Wednesday, December 10.

Please reach out to communications@dpi.nc.gov if you did not receive the meeting information and Zoom link.

Number 6

North Carolina Museum of Art Exhibit Featuring Work from NC Educators: The Creative Lives of Educators

In its mission to be a vital cultural resource to all, the North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA) celebrates the creative lives of K–12 schoolteachers. North Carolina educators of all disciplines were invited to submit original artwork and artist statements reflecting on their creative practices and experiences with the NCMA to be considered for this exhibition. Their art and statements show the creative versatility and thoughtfulness of the teachers working in our state. The NCMA is proud to support their work.

Learn more about the exhibit and the NCMA here. The exhibit will be open through May 2026. 

Number 5

Registration Open for 2026 RISE Back to School Safety Summit

Registration is now open for the 2026 RISE Back to School Safety Summit! RISE will be held from Tuesday, August 4, to Thursday, August 6, at the Greenville Convention Center in Greenville, N.C.

Join the Center for Safer Schools for sessions including bullying prevention, suicide prevention, critical incidents and threat assessment.

Find additional details and register here. Please reach out to CFSS@cfssnc.gov if you have questions. 

Number 4

Celebrate the Good Blog - Student Media Spotlight: The Green Hope Falcon Soars to Great Heights 📰🦅

"Across our state, students are using their voices and their creativity to inform, inspire and innovate. Whether they are reporting in their school’s newspaper, amplifying stories through a podcast or recording and producing in the studio, North Carolina students continue to demonstrate the power of media literacy, storytelling and student leadership.

We are excited to begin the Student Media Spotlight Series to highlight all of the remarkable examples of student media in action across our state.

Green Hope High School (Wake County Public Schools) student journalists in the Leadership in Media Honors class have soared to incredible heights. The school’s newspaper, The Green Hope Falcon, earned recognition as a 2025 School Newspapers Online (SNO) Distinguished Site and is one of only six schools worldwide selected from 435 participating programs. This year’s distinction marks the fourth consecutive year Green Hope has earned this honor."

Read the full blog post and learn more about the Green Hope Falcon's incredible achievements here.

Number 3

ICYMI: Press Conference on Needs-Based School Construction Grants

At a press conference Dec. 3 at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI), state and district leaders highlighted nearly $400 million in Needs-Based School Construction Grants that will help 10 districts replace or renovate aging facilities and build new elementary schools, high schools and a career and technical education (CTE) center.

Transylvania County Schools Superintendent Dr. Lisa Fletcher shared plans for a new CTE facility that will open modern career pathways for students across the district. Tyrrell County Schools Superintendent Brianna Williams called the funding an “early Christmas present,” enabling the district to consolidate all schools on one campus and create a state-of-the-art learning environment for the youngest students through grade 13.

“These grants will directly impact thousands of students, ensuring safe, modern, accessible learning environments that show their education matters,” said Superintendent Mo Green.

Created by the General Assembly in 2017, the program has now delivered over $2.1 billion in school facility improvements across North Carolina.

➡️Watch the press conference here. 
➡️Learn more about the Needs-Based Public Schools Capital Fund program and this year’s recipients here. 

Number 2

Celebrate the Good Blog: Meet the State Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council

"The Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council (SSAC) is a diverse group of high school students who advise state education leaders on topics that affect public school students. The SSAC is composed of 11th- and 12th-grade students from all eight of the state’s educational regions. Students typically serve two years on the Council until the end of their senior year.

Their monthly meetings with the state superintendent and NCDPI staff members give them an opportunity to share the student perspective on a variety of issues, from school cell phone policies to higher education access."

Learn about the 2025-26 SSAC members and read the full blog post here.

Number 1

North Carolina’s Advanced Learning Efforts Gain National Recognition 🌟🏆

"The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) is gaining national recognition for its advanced learning efforts, both as a partner in the new National Research Center on Advanced Education and through a national award honoring one of its leaders.

At Thursday’s State Board of Education meeting, NCDPI announced that it is one of three state agencies participating in the National Research Center on Advanced Education, which will serve as a hub for research, innovation and policy development related to programs and services that meet the needs of young learners with aptitude and skills beyond their peers."

Read the full press release here.