North Raleigh Today

Governor Josh Stein and the North Carolina Business Committee for Education (NCBCE) have announced the ten recipients of the Governor’s Educator Discovery Award. This initiative provides a stipend of up to $1,000 to PreK-12 public and charter school educators in North Carolina, allowing them to pursue professional development experiences.

Governor Stein emphasized the importance of continuous education for teachers: “Our students benefit when their teachers prioritize their own continued education. I am proud to award these professional development grants to teachers who are striving for excellence, and I am excited to hear how they leverage this additional education in the classroom.”

The award process involves teachers submitting proposals that outline their teaching experience and chosen professional development activity. These applications are rigorously reviewed, with ten winners selected from each cycle. Since its inception in 2019, interest in the program has grown significantly, leading to a total of 51 grants awarded thus far.

Among this year's recipients is Daniel Fussell from Innovation Early College High School, who attended a technology conference in Raleigh. Cori Greer-Banks from The Exploris School used her grant for three different opportunities focused on American history perspectives. Pamela Jordan from Warren County High School attended a career development conference addressing workplace trends post-COVID-19.

Lauren Wilmot from North Pitt High School participated in a summer conference focused on career and technical education curriculum updates. Rong Zhang at East Cary Magnet Middle School engaged with a program aimed at enhancing proficiency in critical foreign languages like Chinese.

Franchone Bey and Darren Rhym both attended an English teacher convention in Boston, focusing on integrating real-world writing experiences into classrooms. Alicia D’Joi led a session on robotics at an AIM Conference hosted by NCDPI.

Jessamyn Bailey explored various art techniques at an arts educator conference while Ameriki Somers plans to attend a library association conference tailored for students with disabilities.

Funding for these awards comes from NCBCE member companies. As interest grows, NCBCE aims to secure more funds for future expansions of the program. Caroline Sullivan, Executive Director of NCBCE, can be contacted by those interested in supporting this initiative.

NCBCE operates as a business-led educational nonprofit under the Office of the Governor since 1983, facilitating connections between business leaders and educational decision-makers across North Carolina.