Spring is around the corner!!
Please check out all the new opportunities to begin a new year to enlarge your network, improve your craft, and engage students in STEM! |
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Dear community member,
Nearly 150 college scholarships administered by the North Carolina Community Foundation are open for applications, representing nearly $1.8 million in available scholarship funds.
At NCCF, we believe in the power of education to improve lives. We partner with donors to administer scholarships for the benefit of students across the state.
- Most NCCF scholarships close for 2024 applications on March 15. There is no cost to apply, and it is now much easier for students to apply for multiple scholarships from NCCF.
- This year, NCCF is using a Universal Scholarships Application for the first time. The online application matches information about the student – such as county of residence, GPA or intended major – with criteria for approximately 130 scholarships. Students are then alerted to all scholarships for which they may be eligible.
- About 20 other NCCF scholarships have separate applications with different due dates. Students are encouraged to review the criteria for those and follow the instructions on how to apply.
Visit nccommunityfoundation.org/Scholarships for detailed application instructions.
Please help us reach potential applicants by:
- Forwarding this email to your network.
- Sharing information about NCCF’s scholarships on social media. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X (Twitter) to share posts.
- Talking to students, teachers, caregivers and school administrators about NCCF’s scholarship opportunities.
All scholarships are established through endowment funds at NCCF with criteria determined by the donor. In 2023, NCCF awarded nearly $1.3 million in scholarships to over 300 students.
Thank you for your partnership in promoting our scholarship opportunities! |
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2024 Nationwide Educator
Resource Grant
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Apply for a 2024 Educator Grant! Thanks to the generosity of Nationwide Insurance we will be able to offer 400 grants.
The purpose of these grants is to provide educator packs that include 1 copy of the Book of the Year, 1 copy of the accompanying educator guide, and 1 set of 30 Ag Mag Minis for educational use. By providing this grant, AFBFA and Nationwide Insurance hope to help educators teach young learners with more accurate information about agriculture.
All U.S. educators may apply (including homeschoolers). Note: The Book of the Year is best suited for grades K-3.
Applications are due by Feb 19th. Questions? Email [email protected].
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Science Field Testing in Spring 2024
In July 2023, the North Carolina State Board of Education adopted the 2023 K-12 Science Standards. The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction is embedding field test items aligned to the newly adopted content standards for grades 5 and 8 and biology in the spring 2024 test forms. Assessments aligned to these content standards will be implemented in the 2024-25 school year.
To support this development, some field test items will be included in a new science item set. Like a reading selection with questions, students will read a scientific text and respond to questions. This item set is at the end of the test form.
To familiarize students with the science item set, a practice set is available in the tutorial item section of NCTest (app, secure browser, or https://data.ncsu.edu/nctest/Destination.html).
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NCSSM Announcements:
Summer Ventures Application Reading—Identify our Future STEM Researchers.
Since 1985, The Summer Ventures in Science and Math Program provides a no-cost summer STEM Research experience to students in North Carolina at a UNC system campus. NCSSM is recruiting educators or STEM professionals to help us review Summer Ventures applicants to select finalists.
Reading requires about 8-9 hours spread over two days, Monday-Tuesday March 11 and 12-and we read fully virtually, but we will optionally offer space at NCSSM Durham on March 12. The North Carolina School of Science and Math has managed the Summer Ventures program since its launch.
We train you on a rubric and you read with a partner. Last year teams read around 40 applications each. One hundred sixty participated in the program last year and are chosen geographically across the state. You can register interest through our brief form.
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Center for Inquiry-Based Learning Presents: Experience a fun, turn-key approach to tackling the new science standards
Date: February 22, 2024 (Registration closes February 5)
Location: Mountain Horticultural Crops Research & Ext. Center, 455 Research Drive, Mills River, NC 28759
Cost: FREE! And substitute and mileage will be reimbursed
Grade Level(s): K-8
Is your school or district looking for fun, hands-on STEM lessons to meet the new science standards? Come experience the Center for Inquiry-Based Learning (CIBL) easy-to-use, standards-aligned, Student Activity Packs.
Student Activity Packs offer:
- standards-aligned curriculum – including Science and Engineering Practices
- materials packed for individual student use (minimal teach prep)
- teacher resources for easy use (slide decks, student activity sheets, teacher training videos)
- literacy and math integrations
- fun for students and teachers.
We invite you and your team to join us as we dive into the new science standards. Your team will include one administrator and up to 4 other members. Team members can include teachers, curriculum specialists, and any other STEM educators.
Schedule:
- 9 am – 11:30 Elementary workshop
- 11:30 – 12:30 Catered lunch
- 12:30 – 3 pm Middle School workshop
Contact(s): Rachael Polmanteer, [email protected] and Todd Guentensberger, [email protected]
Application Deadline: February 5th, 2024. Limited spaces available!
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Real Teaching with Real Data
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Give your students authentic data science experiences by working with real NC State research data from the Center for Human Health and the Environment. This workshop will guide you through best data practices and how to train your students to work with messy data. Learn how data-infused lessons can enrich your content and increase student engagement. This workshop is designed for grades 8-12 and will focus on PFAS water contamination, but we will look at other CHHE datasets and learn how to apply best data practices to any dataset or lesson.
This workshop is accepting 15 participants based on the applications submitted. Registration will close March 1, 2024 to allow for the committee to review applications and reach out to those accepted into the workshops. If you have any questions, please contact Taryn Shelton, [email protected]. If you cannot attend the date and time listed, please do not submit an application for this workshop.
Date/Time: Saturday, March 16, 2024 from 9am to 4pm
Location: The Science House, Cherry Bldg, 715 Barbour Dr, Raleigh, NC 27606
Whether you are helping young learners recognize patterns and trends in the weather or temperature, collecting and analyzing data in your science class, or exploring different and interesting ways to visualize data in art, we would love to spotlight you in our quarterly newsletter!
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Introducing Not Your Average PD
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| The Kenan Fellows Program for Teacher Leadership at N.C. State University is excited to introduce our free online professional learning series, Not Your Average PD.Our sessions cover timely issues and deliver content that is immediately applicable to the classroom. Guided by instructors who are Kenan Fellows Program for Teacher Leadership alumni, each session is relevant and interactive and provides opportunities for experiential learning.
Ready to join us? Our first session features Paul Cancellieri, a middle school science teacher and upcoming author of a book on artificial intelligence (AI) prompts and advice for teachers.
Session Details:
Topic: AI in Education
Instructor: Paul Cancellieri
Date: Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024
Time: 4:30-5:30 p.m., Eastern
Register here:
https://kenanfellows.org/nyapd/ |
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Funding for High School Clubs
Whether your prospective student club members are seasoned outdoor enthusiasts, or trying out activities for the first time, the North Carolina Trailblazers Outdoor Club program provides the framework for high schools to create their own outdoor club, suited to their experience level.
Engaging in outdoor learning experiences connects students with North Carolina’s nature and outdoor learning experiences can offer the ability to learn new hands-on skills, develop leadership and teambuilding potential, and make friends that have similar interests!
Clubs have exclusive access to grant funds, that can be used to kickstart an outdoor club, fund field trips, adventurous activities, and the purchase of supplies, such as camping, archery, or fishing equipment.
The application window for the 2024-2025 academic year is NOW OPEN and will close March 30th 2024.
Current Trailblazers: Once your school has successfully joined the program, you do not need to reapply. $5,000 Year 2 funding will be provided to your club for the 2024-2025 school year.
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| Cretaceous Creatures is a new public science project that offers 8th grade science teachers and students across North Carolina and beyond the opportunity to make their own microfossil discoveries. Thanks to Bank of America, our Dueling Dinosaurs Worldwide Education Sponsor, eligible classrooms can directly contribute to the science of paleontology. |
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A resource for STEM professions, especially for women!
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