Education Homework and Resources

Session Resources–Recommended

The following links are resources that were recommended by session presenters, planning committee members, and past LNC speakers prior to the December 2025 session. Unless noted otherwise these are not required, but exploring those that interest you will enrich your experience both during and after the December Education Session.

 

Civil Rights and Historical Context

• International Civil Rights Center and Museum
  • International Civil Rights Center and Museum Concept Primer (required reading)
• Greensboro Sit-In (History Channel)
• “Eyes on the Prize: Then and Now” (PBS)
• Civil Rights Movement Veterans
• Civil Rights Movement Timeline (History Channel)
• “The Civil Rights Movement: 1919-1960s”  (National Humanities Center)

 

Early Childhood Education (Birth to 5)

• North Carolina’s Early Childhood Action Plan 
• North Carolina Early Childhood Workforce Study  
  • Executive Summary
  • Full Study
• Child Trends 
• NC DHHS – Division of Child Development and Early Education
• NC Partnership for Children (Smart Start)
• NC DPI – Office of Early Learning
• NC DHHS – Raise NC  
• Family Forward NC
• Funding Sources for Early Care and Education in North Carolina
• The Science of Early Childhood Development: Closing the Gap Between What We Know and What We Do
• Children’s Learning and Development Benefits from High-Quality Early Care and Education: A Summary of the Evidence

 

K-12 Education: State of the State, Policy, and Data

• North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (DPI)
  • NC DPI Data and Reports
  • NC DPI School Report Cards
• North Carolina State Board of Education DPI Strategic Plan (2025)
  • Strategic Plan One Page Summary
• Public School Forum of North Carolina
• Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity and Opportunity
• BEST NC Facts and Figures

 

Higher Education: Pipeline to Careers

• Winston-Salem State University
• NC Independent Colleges and Universities
• NC Community Colleges
• UNC System
• 5 Things To Know: HBCU Edition (National Museum of African American History and Culture)

 

Nonprofits and Philanthropy in Education

• myFutureNC
• EdNC
• The Duke Endowment
• Early Years NC
  • Early Years Annual Report
  • Early Years Alternative Pathways Brochures
• Communities in Schools NC
• United Way of North Carolina
• NC Center for Nonprofits
• Road to Hire
• The Belk Foundation
  • Belk Foundation Annual Report
  • Belk Foundation Info Graphic
• New Hanover Community Endowment
• The Friday Institute

 

Homeschooling, Charter, and Private Schools

• North Carolinians for Home Education (NCHE)
• NCDOA Home Schooling Requirements and Recommendations
• NC Homeschool Info
• NC DPI Charter Schools
• National Alliance for Public Charter Schools–NC Charter Schools
• NC Department of Administration, Division of Non-Public Education

 

Educating Tomorrow’s Workforce

• NC Department of Public Instruction: Portrait of a Graduate
• NC Career and Technical Education Course Management System

 

Latinx Education and Resources   

• El Centro Hispano
• LatinxEd
• Train the East Initiative
• Serving Our Students and Families in a Language They Understand
• Positive Impacts of Dual Language Programs

 

Indigenous Education in NC

• NC DPI American Indian Education
• How Do We Support Indigenous Students in North Carolina?

 

Supporting Neurodivergent and Vulnerable Students 

• LENS-NC Enters Its Third Year of Work, Focused on Learning and Acting Together to Improve Outcomes for Vulnerable Students
• Autism Society of North Carolina
• UNC TEACCH Autism Program
• Neurodiversity Empowerment Services
• NC Chapter of International Dyslexia Association
• El Futuro
• The Hill Learning Center
• Exceptional Children’s Assistance Center (ECAC)
• NC Department of Public Instruction Resources
  • Exceptional Children | NC DPI
  • Policies and Procedures | NC DPI

 

Piedmont Triad Resources

• Greensboro, NC
• High Point, NC
• Winston-Salem, NC
• Piedmont Triad Regional Council
• LNC Class 33 Local Recommendations

 

College and Career Resources

• Career and College Promise | NC DPI: North Carolina’s dual enrollment program for high school students. Eligible high school students can take college classes at NC community colleges and universities through their high school.  Students are encouraged to work with their counselor if interested.
• NC College Connect: Automatically admits NC high school seniors with a weighted GPA of 2.8+ and enrolled in 4^th level math to select North Carolina colleges and universities.
• FAFSA® Application | Federal Student Aid: The FAFSA form is used to determine how much financial aid students are eligible to receive, which could include grants, scholarships, work-study funds, and loans.
  • Federal Pell Grants: The Pell Grant program provides financial aid to eligible students based on financial need, and it is administered through the FAFSA application process.
  • NC Need-Based Scholarship: The NC Need Based Scholarship is based on need determined through FAFSA form.
• CFNC: College Foundation of North Carolina is a free, comprehensive resource designed to help all North Carolina students and families plan, apply, and pay for college. It includes tools for all ages and pathways.
  • Countdown to College (CFNC)
• NC Promise – UNC System: NC Promise reduces tuition to $500 per semester (excluding room/board) at Elizabeth City State, Fayetteville State, UNC Pembroke, and Western Carolina.
• NCCCS-UNC 2+2 Programs: The 2+2 Program/articulation agreements allows students to complete the first one to two years of curriculum at a community college or smaller college, and qualify for transfer to and finish their education in two to three more years at certain schools.
• The ACT Test for Students | ACT: Free Pre ACT as a sophomore and take the ACT for free as a Junior at their school. Is required and included as part of the NC School Report Card. If scores are high enough, can bypass certain entrance exams.
• NCWorks: The NCWorks site is a powerful online job seeker/workforce services system, accessed as a website on the Internet or an Intranet at a OneStop Center. It was specifically designed for job seekers, students, case managers, employers, training providers, workforce professionals, and others seeking benefits and services. The system provides fast access to a complete set of employment tools on one website. Surveys have proven that users find it convenient and very useful. Search for the local NC Works in your area.
• NC Careers: Explore career pathways and careers aligned to their interests, including those that would keep students in their local communities.