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Facts That Matter Blog

At the ncIMPACT Initiative, we ground our research in the challenges faced by North Carolina’s state and local leaders and their communities. Through compelling story telling, the Facts That Matter blog shares data and evidence about collaborative problem solving efforts that chart a path forward in communities across the state. We share these stories for the benefit of other communities in pursuit of our mission to improve the lives of North Carolinians.


June 29, 2023

Increasing Food Access Blog

Local leaders are working collaboratively to create a sustainable food system that benefits both the growers’ economics and consumers’ health. The partnerships around food access in local communities are creating templates for other communities to improve their food supply systems, enhance health outcomes, and boost their local economy.

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June 27, 2023

Rising Community Violence Blog

The violence interrupter strategy is a unique approach that enables individuals who have had experiences with gangs and violence to act as mentors and guides to at-risk youth. It provides a way to build trust and rapport with young people who may resist law enforcement efforts.

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June 8, 2023

Enhancing NC’s Workforce Through Education

Educational institutions are partnering with others in the community to level the playing field by providing supports, such as seminars on networking or meeting the financial requirements for study. Often non-educational community partners build coalitions to address student barriers such as food security, child care, and transportation.

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May 8, 2023

Building a Diverse Business Community Blog

Small business owners need a strong ecosystem to thrive. That ecosystem provides technical assistance, connections to space, and other resources and capital to launch and grow. Indeed, minority entrepreneurs sometimes struggle to find and gain access to the small amount of capital they need to launch or expand their businesses.

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May 8, 2023

Sports Tourism Boom Blog

Youth sports can require a significant financial investment for travel to out-of-town tournaments. The expenses for food and lodging quickly add up, and communities in North Carolina are capitalizing on the increased interest in amateur sports by integrating them into their local economy.

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May 8, 2023

Teacher Recruitment and Retention Blog

Everyone agrees that we need more teachers and that good teachers are critical to the state’s ability to train our workforce and produce our citizenry. There are strategies for teacher recruitment and retention that must be state-based. However, local innovations are critical to our collective success in addressing some barriers.

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May 8, 2023

Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Blog

Alzheimer’s programs, or those more generally for dementia across the state, are not just involved with improving the quality-of-care patients receive in the hospital. They also want to ensure a high quality of life for adults outside of healthcare situations as they go about their daily lives.

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March 9, 2023

Equity Challenges With Community-Campus Partnerships

Partnerships between academic and community researchers can have significant challenges. On March 2, 2023, as part of UNC Community Engagement Week, ncIMPACT Initiative and the Carolina Across 100 Initiative hosted a session, “Um, Who is the Expert Here? Valuing Lived Experiences as True Expertise,” to explore the issues.

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March 7, 2023

Volunteering Builds Social Capital for Older Adults

Through successful volunteering placements, older adults can develop new social skills and connections, thereby strengthening their individual social capital.

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December 9, 2022

Targeted Universalism Uses Social Capital to Increase Equity in COVID-19 Recovery

By practicing targeted universalism, policymakers can aim specific strategies, such as social capital-based programming, at problems that plague marginalized groups to advance equity in COVID-19 economic recovery efforts.

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