Natalia Mejia, a teacher at CC Griffin STEM Middle School in Cabarrus County Schools, was named the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT) 2023 Empower NC Beginning Teacher of the Year in a special ceremony at the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center on the campus of Western Carolina University Thursday March 9th.

Honored Educator Scholarships (HES) provide an opportunity for selected teachers to attend an NCCAT seminar of their choice. An HES covers all costs associated with participation in a five-day NCCAT seminar, including program materials, instruction, food, lodging, transportation, and substitute teacher. The honored educator also receives $250 for use in the classroom. Applications for 2023 are currently being accepted. The application period will close on April 30.

SAMR is a helpful framework for mindfully integrating technology. The acronym stands for Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition. Participants in this seminar will learn approaches for Modifying and Redefining lessons through technology as they rewrite lessons with the support of colleagues. This program is appropriate for teachers grades 3-12.

NCCAT visited Buncombe County Schools recently as Chief Academic Officer Dr. Bonnie Bolado led instructional coaches in professional development during the Buncombe County Schools Coaches Academy. Would you like NCCAT to come to your district or school? NCCAT offers a variety of K–12 school-based programs available to public schools and districts across the state of North Carolina.

Join NCCAT April 24-27 for "Bringing Learning to Life Through Movement" in Cullowhee. A wealth of research supports the hypothesis that physical activity can boost comprehension, retention, and self-regulation in students of all achievement levels. Teachers who build movement into their lessons have students who are more engaged. Teachers will learn a variety of strategies for integrating instruction with physical activity, but not at the expense of intellectual rigor.

MEETING NOTICE:
NCCAT Cullowhee Campus Building Project Committee Meeting

Thirty-eight presenters from across North Carolina joined NCCAT in Cullowhee for "The NCCAT Way: Leading Learning, Growing Together" Feb. 17-18 at the Cullowhee campus.

Digital learning is a broad category encompassing digital resources and technology to enhance and differentiate instruction. However, the number of available options can be overwhelming. Participants in this course will gain experience with free, high-quality tools for video and audio production, blended lessons, curating digital content, and assessment. Participants will expand their toolboxes by practicing with 1 or 2 high-quality tech tools for each topic area.

Make plans to join NCCAT for three exciting STEM Professional Development programs in April and June. NCCAT's instructional programs reflect the broad range of unique professional development topics for public school teachers and other educators. Challenging formats, combined with professional learning communities, shape the NCCAT offerings. All programs incorporate state standards.