Kenan Fellows Program for Teacher Leadership

09/03/2026

Educators interested in NC State College of Education's Master of School Administration programs can attend virtual information sessions scheduled this fall. Check out the flyer below to learn more, or visit https://online-distance.ncsu.edu/program/master-of-school-administration/

09/02/2026

📣 📣 Calling all Kenan Fellows and alumni!

This is your chance to "Fellow It Forward" by sharing your leadership and expertise.

Opportunities Now Open:

📌 Not Your Average PD - Teaching Fellows: Targeted virtual PD for NC State Teaching Fellows starting in October. We need master teachers to lead sessions on predetermined topics.

📌 Not Your Average PD: Free online PD for teachers, covering timely K-12 topics with instantly applicable strategies.

📌 Kenan Fellows Program Faculty: Current classroom teachers designing high-quality PD delivered at Summer, Fall, or Spring institutes for a Kenan Fellows cohort.

Let's keep providing high-quality, relevant professional development for teachers by teachers! 🍎

Ready to Apply? Learn more and apply at: https://go.ncsu.edu/iqrddng

08/27/2026

This summer, Kenan Fellow Candice Haynes, a teacher with Mount Airy City Schools, got to see behind the scenes at Forge GSO Makerspace Greensboro, a nonprofit community makerspace where members learn new skills, use industrial-grade tools to launch small businesses, and connect with others contributing to the local economy through skilled trades and artisan work.

Candice is part of a group of Kenan Fellows building resources to integrate computer science and computational thinking into NC public schools, and experiences like this one help her make direct connections between what she teaches in the classroom and how those skills show up in the workplace.

Thank you to NC Public Schools for supporting Candice's fellowship!

08/20/2026

Check out this great feature by ASAP - Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project of our two Fellows who were immersed with the organization this summer. Huge thanks to ASAP for its continued support of teachers and their students!

08/14/2026

As part of our Reigniting Teacher Passion Conference on Aug. 3-4, teachers from across North Carolina visited Novonesis North America headquarters in Franklinton to learn more about biomanufacturing and career opportunities in the life sciences industry.

Teachers toured the Fermentation and Recovery operations and discussed how classroom learning can connect to careers.

Experiences like these help educators bring industry relevance back to their students and create stronger connections between education and workforce opportunities.

Thanks to the team at Novonesis for opening their doors to educators.

08/12/2026

Opportunity Alert 🚨

NC Aquarium Scholars Mini Grants 🐟 🐟

The Aquarium Scholars program is a partnership between the three North Carolina Aquariums and the non-profit North Carolina Aquarium Society, through which private donors help fund access to STEM-based Aquarium education programs for underserved students across the state.

🎓 Grants are only available for Title 1 eligible schools.
🗓️ The application deadline is Friday, Sept. 11, 2026.

Link in the comments.

08/11/2026

This summer, Stanly County Schools teacher Kristin Owens-White spent time with the Union Power Cooperative team as part of her 2026-27 Kenan fellowship.

She met with crew members, toured a nuclear energy facility and even got a lift on a bucket truck.

Thanks to Union Power and North Carolina's Electric Cooperatives for their continued support of North Carolina teachers and STEM education.

This is what it looks like when teachers and industry partners work shoulder to shoulder to help illuminate local career pathways for students.

📸 Photo credit: Union Power

08/10/2026

Huge thanks to Education NC for covering our first-ever Reigniting Teacher Passion conference, two days in Chapel Hill filled with connection, community and joy.

More than 100 teachers joined us Aug. 3-4 for a variety of sessions led by teachers for teachers.

EdNC reporter Chantal Brown has the full story, including more on what teachers experienced across the two days.

The first ever Reigniting Teacher Passion conference from the Kenan Fellows Program provided professional development for NC teachers.

08/07/2026

Our three North Carolina Resiliency Kenan Fellows represent classrooms from the mountains to the coast.

Today, they joined an orientation led by the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, alongside the current cohort of North Carolina Teachers of the Year.

Our Associate Director, Mark Townley, joined the Fellows and said it was a nice addition to have so many great teachers around the table.

A big thanks to the Burroughs Wellcome Fund for supporting this year's cohort. This year's Fellows are:

Dorcas Gyekye, Durham Public Schools
Julie Paige Pittman, Rutherford County Schools, NC
Jennifer Nester Griffin, Onslow County Schools

08/06/2026

Our Hawbridge School STEMwork Scholars kicked off their inaugural professional development led by Program Manager Carrie Yeske Horton and STEMwork Facilitator Melaine Rickard.

The teachers participated in team-building activities, and built and tested cardboard cities that could withstand extreme weather events. Combined with their professional development, they will also get behind-the-scenes looks into local industries.

Please join us in welcoming them to the start of the new STEMwork year.