Coming to NCCAT in November - "Supporting the N.C. Portrait of a Graduate Competencies in the STEM Classroom." The North Carolina Portrait of a Graduate Initiative calls for students to not only acquire rigorous academic content, but also durable skills that will serve them as they enter the career or college of their choice. The Portrait of a Graduate Competencies include adaptability, collaboration, communication, critical thinking, empathy, learner’s mindset, and personal responsibility. Each of these skills are necessary components of high-quality STEM education! Participants in this seminar will experience the Portrait of a Graduate Competencies within the context of STEM and will walk away with tangible strategies that can be quickly implemented in the STEM classroom!

Join us November 6-9 in Cullowhee for the program - "Integrating the NC Computer Science Standards into the K-5Classroom." Participants will engage in interactive and hands-on sessions diving into world of elementary Computer Science. Sessions will focus on developing digital fluency and problem-solving skills. Participants will be equipped with the knowledge, strategies, and resources to effectively integrate the NC Computer Science Standards and concepts into their elementary classrooms. Sessions are grounded in current research, theory, and best practices, utilizing 21st century methods and pedagogy to ensure meaningful learning experiences for students.

Educators from around North Carolina joined the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT) for the NCCAT Conference for Curriculum Leaders on Sept. 13-15 at the Cullowhee campus. More than 90 participants were part of the three-day conference that allowed state Curriculum Leaders to collaborate and share ideas for this upcoming school year.  The agenda for the NCCAT conference was based on feedback from curriculum leaders. Conference attendees were able to identify needs in their districts and give feedback on future NCCAT programming decisions.

Adding to the constant effort of striving to meet North Carolina’s current and future needs in STEM education, The North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching has hired Senior STEM Specialist Dr. Jennifer Redfearn to support teachers in incorporating STEM learning into their instruction. NCCAT, a recognized national leader in professional development programming for teachers, responded to an expressed statewide need for professional development in STEM education.

How can we as educators enhance our classroom settings to engage students in real-world problem-solving skill sets? In this session coming in October to NCCAT Cullowhee, participants will come to understand a framework of Project/Problem-Based Learning (PBL) through the “7 Gold Standards” of PBL. Educators will practice designing a PBL unit. This session is intended for any grade level and content area educators.