North Wake News

Governor Josh Stein, in collaboration with the North Carolina Business Committee for Education (NCBCE), has announced the recipients of the Governor’s Educator Discovery Award. This year, ten teachers from various schools across North Carolina will receive stipends of up to $1,000 to pursue professional development opportunities.

Governor Stein emphasized the importance of continued education for teachers, stating, “Our students benefit when their teachers prioritize their own continued education.” He expressed pride in awarding these grants to educators committed to excellence and is eager to see how they apply their new knowledge in classrooms.

The award targets PreK-12 traditional public and charter school educators who propose a professional development experience that can enhance work-based learning activities for students. The selection process involves a rigorous review, narrowing down applicants to ten winners.

Since its inception in 2019, interest in the program has grown significantly. With this year's winners included, a total of 51 grants have been awarded. Applications are currently open for the next cycle of awards.

The 2024 awardees have outlined diverse plans for utilizing their stipends:

- Daniel Fussell from Innovation Early College High School attended the NC Technology in Education Society conference.

- Cori Greer-Banks at The Exploris School participated in multiple fellowships including those offered by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

- Pamela Jordan from Warren County High School used her grant for attending the National Career Development Association Summer Conference.

- Lauren Wilmot at North Pitt High School attended the NC CTE Summer Conference.

- Rong Zhang from East Cary Magnet Middle School applied her stipend towards MSU STARTALK for Chinese Language Teachers Program.

- Franchone Bey and Darren Rhym both attended the National Council for Teachers of English Annual Convention.

- Alicia D’Joi at JM Alexander Middle School led a session on robotics at an AIM Conference.

- Jessamyn Bailey from High Point Central High School participated in the North Carolina Arts Educator Association Annual Conference.

- Ameriki Somers at Lowrance Middle School plans to attend the American Association of School Librarians Conference.

The awards are funded by NCBCE member companies. As interest grows, NCBCE aims to secure additional funding to expand this initiative further. Those interested in supporting can contact Caroline Sullivan, Executive Director of NCBCE.

NCBCE is a non-profit organization that connects business leaders with educational decision-makers in North Carolina, aiming to enhance work readiness through curriculum development.