NewSchools is opening a $2.5-million funding opportunity for early-stage, equity-centered innovators who will partner with schools to implement bold new models or programs that can improve teaching and learning outcomes.
Through this effort, we will support new and existing nonprofit and for-profit organizations offering whole-school model solutions. Grantees will receive one-year grants of $150,000 to $350,000 along with other supports, including coaching and access to communities of practice.

Rolesville Charter Academy Won the Grand Door Prize at our annual conference compliments of Staples!

The grand prize is a empowerED™ system that consists of a 4 x 6 Ultra Thin Glass center board, 4x4 tack board and 4x4 Ultra Thin Glass board with two portable snap fit boards (Photo on left is an example of the empowerED system. It does not represent the actual prize.).

GLOW Academy is the only all-girls public charter school in North Carolina. Its curriculum is focused on hands-on learning in science, technology, engineering, art, and math.

Beginning this year GLOW students will be able to combine all those subjects in a new program focusing on film and television production, digital media, and journalism. Thanks to a partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment and its Global Social Justice Fund to help diversify the media industry, they will have high-tech, professional-grade equipment plus virtual and onsite mentors from the cast of the Netflix show "Outer Banks."

What can we do to heal after last school year?  Let's move forward making the first class the science of self-care.

Evergreen Community Charter School teacher Jo Giordano leads a crew of five middle school students as the morning announcement emcees. Each school day these positive messages set the tone for social and emotional learning. As we know, positive peer pressure creates the "x factor" for student outcomes. At Evergreen, this student-leadership initiative is the day 1 influence for school culture and climate. When Jo couldn't find a resource that was easy enough for implementation, she created it. Wise From Within is a self-published book that lays out a script for the students to read each day over the loud speaker. 

Welcome and good luck to our 6 new charter schools opening in Fall 2021!

Asheville PEAK Academy (Asheville, NC)
Doral Academy of North Carolina (Raleigh, NC)
Faith Academy Charter School (Faith, NC)
Old Main STREAM Academy (Pembroke, NC)
Summit Creek Academy (Browns Summit, NC)
Telra Institute (Matthews, NC)

Summit Creek Academy, a Greensboro-area public charter school managed by National Heritage Academies (NHA), is preparing for their first school year!

Summit Creek will offer grades K-5 in 2021, adding one grade level, up to eighth grade, each year. A crucial part of the culture and curriculum at Summit Creek revolves around Moral Focus. NHA believes that kindness, and strong hearts and minds can impact the world in significant ways. Every month Summit Creek will highlight a different Moral Focus virtue, such as respect, compassion, and perseverance, to develop the whole student, heart and character included.

The 2021-22 school year is nearly here. Now that we are on this side of the pandemic, it is more critical than ever that our teachers are prepared on day one, especially our beginning teachers. NCAPCS is interested in supporting you and your beginning teachers by offering a half-day new teacher summit led by passionate, experienced educators, but we want to hear from you. Potential content would include:

What College Didn't Teach You
Post-Pandemic Preparation: What Do My Students Need?
What Your Charter School Principal Wants You to Know

Monroe, NC - Union Academy 2021 graduate, Mya Manivanh, has been selected as a High School Scholar All-American player by the United Soccer Coaches Association. This award recognizes players who have excelled on the field as well as in the classroom. All the winners have at least a 3.75 GPA and have been recognized for their excellence on the field. 

Mya was a four year starter for the Cardinals and a member of the teams who hold the state record with 48 consecutive wins and back-to-back 1A state championships in 2018 and 2019. She finished her high school career with 40 goals and 12 assists in the center back position even though her junior and senior years were shortened due to Covid. 

Monroe, NC - Union Academy teacher, Zöe Zander, has been recognized with an Early Career Educator of Color Leadership Award from NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English). Zander was one of 12 educators in their first five years of teaching to be selected for the award. 

The NCTE award provides early career teachers of color a national forum at the NCTE Annual Convention for professional collaboration and development as they build accomplished teaching careers as active NCTE members. Zander will receive an all expense paid trip to the NCTE Annual Convention and have the opportunity to present to her colleagues.