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Caps High, Futures Bright
May arrives with caps held high,
As dreams prepare themselves to fly.
The halls now echo proud goodbyes,
While bright new futures fill the skies.
North Carolina’s high school graduation rate hit a record high of 87.7% for the 2024-25 school year, the highest in state history.
North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
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STEM West
Summer Workshops
Check out all of the summer workshops and conferences from STEM West.
Building Literacy
AI Educators Day
Six Bricks Workshop
Flyers for each event are below.
Let’s spend some time together learning from each other.
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Help Students Envision
a Future in STEM
Inspire curiosity and possibilities with our STEM Career Vision Board Activity— a hands-on project that helps students explore real-world STEM careers and imagine their futures. Ideal for end-of-year, summer school, or at-home use, it encourages creativity, reflection. and family conversation while keeping STEM dreams alive all summer.
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Approximately 4.7% of all degrees conferred in North Carolina are in STEM fields, landing the state at #12 nationally.
https://www.ncstir.com/higher-eduaction/
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CTE concentrators boast an impressive graduation rate of roughly 98%, significantly higher than the statewide average.
https://www.dpi.nc.gov/districts-schools/classroom-resources/career-and-technical-education
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The mortarboard, or graduation cap, originated in 16th-century Europe as a variant of the church’s biretta, evolving into a symbol of scholarship in English universities. It was adopted by academics in the 17th century, and it was eventually named after the flat board used by masons to hold mortar.
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NSF Seeks Input Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and
Science Teaching Program
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Dear Colleagues,
Recently the National Science Foundation (NSF) issued a request for information (RFI), of its Excellence Awards in Science and Engineering (EASE), which includes the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) and the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM) programs. Educators and others interested in sustaining and strengthening these prestigious award programs are strongly encouraged to submit feedback by May 28, 2026.
Administered by NSF on behalf of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, PAEMST is the nation’s highest honor for K–12 STEM teachers, recognizing educators who demonstrate deep content knowledge and the ability to inspire, motivate, and support student success. PAESMEM similarly recognizes individuals and organizations that play a vital role in mentoring and developing the next generation of the STEM workforce.
Through this RFI, NSF is seeking feedback from the science, STEM education, and research communities on exemplary practices, lessons learned, and program criteria. The return of these programs will not only honor the achievements of outstanding teachers, but also elevate the teaching profession and renew national attention on the importance of high-quality STEM education for all students.
I urge you to take a few minutes to review and complete the NSF request for information and make your voice heard.
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North Carolina Career and Technical Education (CTE) students earned a record 382,964 industry-recognized credentials during the 2024-2025 academic year, the highest total in state history, according to a report released today by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI).
https://www.dpi.nc.gov/districts-schools/classroom-resources/career-and-technical-education
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Originally, the center of the cap was adorned with a tuft. The tassel became a common decoration by the late 19th century, formally adopted in the U.S. Intercollegiate Code of 1895.
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Math Workshop Sponsored by NCSSM
Dear Educators,
High school mathematics teachers from across North Carolina and beyond are invited to join us for a free, two-day in-person workshop led by Ashley Loftis, the Dan Teague Endowed Professor of Mathematics at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, along with colleagues.
 Date: Monday, July 20, and Tuesday, July 21, 2026
 Time: 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. (with scheduled breaks)
 Location: In-person on the campus of NCSSM Durham
 Meals: Lunch and snacks will be provided both days
 Credit: Participants who attend the full workshop are eligible to receive 1.0 CEUs
 Who: Appropriate for high school teachers of all course levels, as the PD will provide concrete practices adaptable to a wide range of classroom contexts.
 Description: This workshop is designed to support you in enhancing your existing curriculum to promote greater student autonomy, meaningful choice, and deeper learning. Whether you are working from a structured curriculum or have been using the same activities for years, you will explore practical strategies for making manageable, intentional changes that elevate student voice, inquiry, and sense-making, while still meeting course goals and expectations, without requiring a complete redesign. In addition, participants will gain access to fully developed activities that can be implemented as-is or adapted to fit their context. By the end of the workshop, teachers will leave with concrete tools and a clear path for fostering more engaging, student-centered learning experiences.
 Registration: Use this link to submit your interest! Priority will be given to teachers who apply by June 15, 2026. After this date, we will admit participants based on space until July 1, 2026. Space is limited, so we encourage you to register early!
For questions or additional information, please contact us at mathpd@ncssm.edu.
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Free Hands-On Curriculum
By Fractal
Hello North Carolina Art or STEM elective Educators!
What if your students could explore art, creativity, and computing—all in one experience?
We’re inviting middle school (Art, Tech, STEM, CS teachers) to pilot Fractal, a hands-on curriculum that blends art + computer science—no coding experience needed.
 3 weeks’ worth of ready-to-use lessons
Creative, student-centered activities
Paid participation ($850) + support (materials and PL included) What students will experience:
· Pixel and Possibilities – Create pixel art while learning how digital images work and how artists use abstraction
· Coding to Create – Turn creative ideas into step-by-step instructions and use beginner-friendly coding tools to make art
· Innovation and Imagination – Explore how technology, data and AI prompts shape art and society (no AI tools required)
We’re currently recruiting teachers for the 2026–2027 school year, and we’d love for you to be part of it.
Best,
Leticia Perez
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North Carolina Science Teachers Association Award Nominations
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Join NCSTA’s search for our best science educators to honor at our 2026 PDI Awards Ceremony.
We are looking for awardees for each of our 8 districts for elementary, middle, and high school levels, as well as distinguished service categories.
Our website has more information and the nomination forms.
Nominate deserving science teachers/leaders today and help us give them the recognition they deserve.
Listed below are the different award categories. Please go online to
https://www.ncsta.org/awards.php
to see the requirements for each award and to complete a nomination form. A celebration ceremony will be held at our annual conference in November.
Outstanding Student Teacher in Science Awards are presented to recognize undergraduate teacher education students seeking certification from a North Carolina college or university who have demonstrated outstanding ability as well as promise in the teaching of science during the student teaching process. The nominees must have completed student teaching within a year before the award presentation in October.
o Elementary
o Middle
o High School
District Outstanding Science Teaching Award for the eight districts in NC: These Awards are presented to recognize excellence in science teaching in North Carolina, to teachers who exemplify excellent, creative, innovative teaching of science to teachers in their district. The award is open to teachers at the elementary, middle and high school grade levels. The winners will receive an award and one year’s membership in NCSTA.
o Elementary
o Middle
o High School
Distinguished Service in Science Education in North Carolina Award: These awards are presented to recognize excellence of contributions to science education in North Carolina. They recognize service to science education in the individual’s school, school system, NCSTA district, and at the state level.
o Elementary
o Middle
o High School
o Administrator/Supervisor
o College/University
o Commercial
o Non School Setting
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Appalachian Leadership
Cohort Applications
Hi, ALI Family!
As you may know, applications for the next cohort of the Appalachian Leadership are now open! We’d love your help getting the word out and ensuring that we have a robust applicant pool for next year. Y’all are our best ambassadors for this program, and we need you to spread the word!
You can find more information about the application here: https://www.arc.gov/academies-and-institutes/leadership/
Applications are due at 11:59 pm on June 1.
Thank you!
Jessica
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Watch for more STEM opportunities in the STEM West Newsletter!
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Takes 3 minutes to express your interest or learn more: 
