Seventeen North Carolina public school districts and charter schools will receive more than $1.2 million in grant funding during the 2026-2027 school year to support innovative digital teaching and learning initiatives across the state. The State Board of Education (SBE) approved the funding through North Carolina’s competitive Digital Learning Initiative Grant Program.
"The goal of the program is to identify, elevate and share effective models of instructional innovation that demonstrate digital leadership, strengthen educator practice and improve student learning," said Dr. Vanessa Wren, chief information officer for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI). "Through statewide collaboration and sharing of promising practices, these locally developed models can inform and inspire high-quality digital teaching and learning across North Carolina’s public schools."
Each grant supports a local Public School Unit (PSU) by addressing emerging instructional challenges, purposefully integrating innovative technologies, strengthening educator capacity and developing new approaches that improve student learning experiences and outcomes.
Instructional Innovation Grant
Five PSUs were awarded a combined $217,425 through the 2026-2027 Instructional Innovation Grant. This one-year grant supports initiatives that provide high-quality professional learning or the purposeful integration of innovative instructional technologies.
The 2026-2027 Instructional Innovation Grant recipients are:
- Anson County Schools
- Asheville City Schools
- Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public Schools
- Johnston County Public Schools
- Research Triangle High School
Each funded initiative aligns with the North Carolina Digital Learning Plan and the digital learning competencies established by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). Together, the projects will help educators build their capacity to transform teaching and learning while creating opportunities for students to strengthen agency, engagement, critical thinking, collaboration, creativity and authentic application of knowledge.
Continuing Impact Grant
Twelve PSUs will receive more than $1 million combined in continued funding for the second or third year of their Digital Learning Impact grants. These multi-year initiatives support the development, implementation and evaluation of innovative digital teaching and learning practices.
The Continuing Impact Grant recipients are:
- Alamance-Burlington School System
- Buncombe County Schools
- Catawba County Schools
- Chatham County Schools
- Cumberland County Schools
- Edenton-Chowan Schools
- Guilford County Schools
- Lake Norman Charter
- Moore County Schools
- Orange County Schools
- Randolph County School System
- Wake County Public School System
The grant initiative was authorized in 2016 by the General Assembly as part of collaboration between the SBE and the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation at N.C. State University to advance the state’s Digital Learning Plan. The goal of the plan is to develop a long-term strategy that sets directions and priorities, supports innovation and provides resources to enable educators and students to benefit fully from digital-age teaching and learning.