Teachers in Craven, Vance, and Johnston Counties Awarded Professional Development Grants | Eastern North Carolina Now

Press Release:

    RALEIGH: Today, Governor Roy Cooper and the North Carolina Business Committee on Education Announced that three more North Carolina teachers will receive Governor's Educator Discovery Awards to help them in their continued efforts to grow professionally and bring new opportunities into their classrooms. Victoria Gwaltney from Four Oaks Middle School in Johnston County, Marsha Harvey from Vance County High School in Vance County, and Elise MacIntosh from New Bern High School in Craven County will each receive a $1,000 stipend to pay for professional development opportunities.

    "Teachers work tirelessly to educate and nurture our students, and we must do everything we can to support them professionally inside and outside the classroom," said Governor Cooper. "These grants provide valuable opportunities for teachers to grow as professionals, and we encourage more teachers to apply for this opportunity."

    The Governor's Educator Discovery Award provides a stipend of up to $1,000 for Pre-K-12 traditional public-school teachers to pursue a professional development experience of their choosing. Since the program began in January 2019, 12 teachers have received awards.

    To be eligible for the Governor's Educator Discovery Awards, teachers submit a proposal with details about their teaching experience and the professional development activity they wish to pursue. Applicants also need to describe how participating in the professional development experience would enhance work-based learning for their students.

    Teachers can apply for the next round of awards until March 22. Submissions will be reviewed by a panel of business leaders and educators. To learn more about the Governor's Educator Discovery Awards or apply, click HERE.

    The latest teachers to receive grants will use their Governor's Educator Discovery Award in the following ways:

    Victoria Gwaltney, middle school plant and animal science educator in Johnston County, will attend the 2020 National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. Ag in the Classroom shows educators how to use agricultural resources to contextualize standards in various subjects, including math, writing, and reading. The conference also promotes the importance of agriculture in daily life.

    Marsha Harvey, a high school English teacher in Vance County, will attend the Chicago Shakespeare Theater workshop that helps educators learn new teaching strategies while engaging with a Shakespeare scholar and theater production professionals who provide historical and contemporary perspectives on the plays. Page to Stage: Teaching The Comedy of Errors Workshop offers an immersive approach to Shakespeare through scholarship, interpretation, and pedagogy.

    Elise MacIntosh, a high school special education teacher in Craven County, will attend the 69th Conference on Exceptional Children in Greensboro. This conference helps teachers to learn more about teaching students with special needs in ways that help position them to graduate, find employment or pursue higher education.

    The Governor's Educator Discovery Awards are funded through member companies of the North Carolina Business Committee for Education (NCBCE).

    "Professional development is incredibly important for our educators and a critical component of growing North Carolina's workforce. The educators who receive this award gain experiences that enhance their teaching in the classroom and also share what they have learned to their colleagues," said NCBCE Board Chair, Ann Ashley. "NCBCE continues to remain true to our mission of supporting educators across the state through our initiatives, including these awards to teachers."

    NCBCE is a business-led, education non-profit (501-c3) that operates out of the Office of the Governor. Since 1983, NCBCE has provided a critical link between North Carolina business leaders and the state's education decision-makers, helping to create connections between the education curriculum and the overall work readiness of people across the state.

• Contact: Ford Porter
•     govpress@nc.gov