Number 10

EdNC: "Meeting Families Where They Are: How One Rural School District Delivers Summer Meals To Doorsteps"

"On a warm Tuesday in late July, a blue van marked with a Transylvania County Schools logo pulled into a gravel driveway and let out a light honk. Seconds later, the door of a house swung open. Two children bounded down the steps and into the arms of the van’s passengers — school nutrition employees the students know well because during the school year, they work in their school’s cafeteria.

The employees greeted the children and their parents, reached into the back of the van, and pulled out food from an insulated container. Prepared earlier that morning in the school cafeteria, lunch that day was tacos made with local Brasstown Beef.

'It’s taco Tuesday!' one of the children announced.

Each child took a bag containing a hot lunch and a breakfast for the next day. The school nutrition employees said a quick goodbye before buckling back in the van and heading to their next stop. “See you tomorrow!” they called out.

This scene unfolds Monday through Thursday, every week of summer break, rain or shine or heat wave, as Transylvania County Schools nutrition staff drive three routes across the rural, mountainous county to deliver free summer meals directly to more than 200 children."

Read the full article here. 

Number 9

Apply for Go Outside Grants 🌳

Go Outside Grants are now open. North Carolina educators can apply for up to $5,000 to fund field trips that connect students with outdoor learning experiences and hands-on education.

North Carolina public and private K-12 schools and nonprofit organizations are eligible to apply. Grant funding supports trips to parks, recreation areas, outdoor education centers, historical sites and other destinations that include an outdoor learning component.

Learn more and apply here.

Number 8

Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (NCDR) Educator Resources

Back-to-school season is underway across North Carolina! Whether students are already back in the classroom or the first day is just around the corner, teachers are gearing up for another great year.

DNCR’s Educator Resource page features tools, information and ideas to support professional growth and inspire classroom learning.

Learn more and see all of DNCR's educator resources here. 

Number 7

Professional Development for Educators Teaching Economics and Personal Finance (EPF)

North Carolina educators who teach or plan to teach Economics and Personal Finance (EPF) can complete the state-required 40-hour professional development this summer through the North Carolina Council on Economic Education.

Led by experienced classroom educators, the EPF Institutes provide practical, standards-aligned instruction, a certificate of completion, a $500 stipend, an opportunity to earn the W!SE Financial Literacy Certification, classroom resources and more for eligible participants.

Click here for information on dates, locations and registration.

Number 6

Apply for Holocaust Education Grants for Teachers

The Mark Schonwetter Holocaust Education Foundation is proud to award financial grants (up to $1,000) to schools and teachers nationwide, educating students about anti-hate, respect and kindness through Holocaust education. These school funding grants can be used to fund Holocaust-related learning materials, field trips, Holocaust survivor speakers and other learning resources.

Through the expansion of Holocaust education, facts and examples of genocide, we hope that students will learn about the dangers of hatred and discrimination, and how these lessons can lead to kindness, respect and inclusion in our society today.

On Aug. 25 there will be virtual webinar to introduce new tools and resources to support Holocaust education efforts and share helpful tips about the Teacher Grant Program, including how and when to apply.

Learn more about the grants and apply here. Applications will close on Oct. 2. 

Number 5

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 4

College for North Carolina: "CTE: Helping Students Find their Future"

"When Derrick Fogg began working as a Career and Technical Education (CTE) teacher back in 2006, things were different. He had to attend the annual summer CTE conference every year to receive a CD with curriculum on it. Now, he can just hop on Moodle for access. And when he was a student himself, the term Career and Technical Education wasn’t even how people referred to the field.

'We called it vocational back then,' he said. 'We can’t outlive that term.'

Things are very different now.

For the 2024-25 school year, North Carolina had more than 450,000 students participating in CTE programs, with almost 80,000 designated as Concentrators, according to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (DPI). DPI defines a Concentrator as 'a student who has successfully completed a Concentrator course in an approved Career Pathway. Concentrator course is a second- or third-level course in the Career Pathway (CPPOS) that builds upon technical skills acquired in a prerequisite course.'”

Read the full article here.

Number 3

Teacher Leader Network 2026-2028 Cohort Accepting Applications - Deadline Extended to Aug. 24

Did you know that 78 of North Carolina’s 100 counties are classified as rural, and our rural public schools serve approximately 40% of students across North Carolina? Geography and resources for our rural educators, however, too often serve as barriers to community building and professional learning opportunities. To address these barriers, the Public School Forum of North Carolina, in collaboration with Appalachian State University’s GEAR UP program has developed the Rural Teacher Leader Network (RTLN).

RTLN was created for rural educators who want to develop as teacher leaders and seek to improve their practice, foster community with teacher leaders developing their own leadership capacity to guide other teachers in their schools. Topics will include but are not limited to opportunities/access, student-centered approaches, policy and teacher leadership in order to provide access and opportunity to all students.

RTLN will bring together up to forty western NC educators with strong potential to create, build upon and accelerate growth in leadership.

Learn more about the RTLN, including eligibility requirements, and apply here. The deadline to apply is Aug. 24.

Number 2

Union County Public Schools Student Article Featured in ITSE+ASCD Blog: "Why Peers—Not Just Programs—Can Ease Students’ Transition to High School"

"Each year, middle school students enter high school unprepared. Not because they lack the ability to handle it, but because they lack the guidance and support outside of academics. The transition from middle school to high school is the most critical and influential transition period in a teenager's life. We cannot expect students to succeed academically if we fail to prepare them with the mindset, habits, and support to navigate the change.

As an incoming high school senior, I speak from experience. I attend a public high school in Union County, N.C.—the 6th largest school district in the state with around 39,000 students. My classmates and I have been together since preschool, but transitioning to high school is overwhelming when you are not prepared for unfamiliar academic and social situations. Each year, issues such as bullying and vaping highlight how some of us can fall through the cracks. I’ve seen classmates who were known for having the best grades and positive attitudes in middle school start hanging out with different crowds to fit in, drop out of their honors classes, or withdraw socially. Social media is also an issue, with people posting negative things about students, teachers, and school in general."

Read the full blog post from Union County Public Schools student Charles Martin III here.

Number 1

District Highlight: Cabarrus County Schools - Spectrum News: North Carolina's First Microschool High School Giving Students a New Way to Learn"

"Some students in Cabarrus County Schools are starting out the new school year at the district’s first microschool and North Carolina’s first microschool at the high school level.

As the door opens on another school year, something new is starting inside one classroom.

'It won’t just be within the four walls of their school, but they’ll actually be going out into the community,' said Sarah Reeves, chief academic officer for Cabarrus County Schools.

Students will learn about human anatomy, but not exactly in the way you might think.

'I’ve been marketing it to parents as we are not necessarily the blood and guts side of healthcare,' said Kiera Parker, the program director of the new Healthcare Innovation Microschool at Jay M. Robinson High School in Concord.

Microschool means a small school within a big school.

'They want their kids to be seen and known by their teachers. They want them to have that personalized experience,' Parker said.

The Pearl in Charlotte brings together researchers, surgeons and educators to propel advances in healthcare."

Read the article and see the accompanying news video clip here.