Statewide Programs & Recognitions

Scholarships & Awards

SECU Scholarship- SECU Foundation takes an active role in assisting communities across North Carolina because we believe in “People Helping People®.” To support this commitment, the People Helping People scholarship was established to help North Carolina public high school students attend college. A scholarship award of up to $10,000 over four years will be awarded to 10 Charter High School Seniors across the state. The Application Process will open on December 1st. Please share this scholarship opportunity with your high school guidance counselors and deans to promote this scholarship opportunity. Applications will close on March 5th, 2024, with selection interviews starting March 22nd, 2024. All final nominations are due to Dr. Natasha Norins by March 5th via email with PDF attachments from applicants. For further assistance, please contact Dr. Natasha Norins, natasha.norins@dpi.nc.gov.

Burroughs Wellcome Fund Teacher of the Year Recognition

The NC Teacher of the Year is recognized at the school, regional, and statewide levels. First, the teacher is chosen to represent their respective school as Teacher of the Year. Similarly, individual public charter schools nominate a Teacher of the Year who participates in a selection process facilitated by the Office of Charter Schools at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Next, once each school district and the charter school nomination processes are completed, the teacher finalists vie as one of the state’s nine Regional Teachers of the Year. [The state is divided into eight geographical regions and NC Charter Schools are clustered together to form the ninth region of the state. The Charter School Teacher of the Year joins the Regional Teachers of the Year team as a finalist for the state Teacher of the Year]. This selection process is facilitated in each region by NC DPI’s Educator Recognition Coordinator. For more information-
https://www.dpi.nc.gov/educators/educator-recognition-programs

Wells Fargo Principal of the Year

The Wells Fargo Principal of the Year Award was introduced in 1984 to recognize the role of the principal in establishing an environment conducive to the pursuit and achievement of academic excellence in North Carolina’s schools. This Foundation sponsors the award in conjunction with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Since the inception of the program, there have been 40 Wells Fargo North Carolina Principals of the Year, 264 regional award recipients, and 3,364 local Wells Fargo Principals of the Year. The Principal of the Year Program recognizes principals at the local, regional, and statewide levels. For more information-

https://www.dpi.nc.gov/educators/educator-recognition-programs  

BTOY- NCCAT

The NCCAT Beginning Teacher of the Year process was developed to honor beginning teachers and to retain teachers who show promise as excellent teachers and education leaders in North Carolina public schools and public charter schools. For more information-  https://www.nccat.org/btoy/overview

Recognition:

The NCCAT Beginning Teacher of the Year will receive:

$5,000 cash prize
Participation for the winner in a GoGlobal NC trip in 2025
Instructional supply funds for the teacher's school

Runner-up
$2,000 cash prize

Finalists will receive
Travel expenses and substitute costs for regional finalists to participate in NCCAT professional development and leadership development.