The abrupt shift to online learning in March 2020 meant many children were not able to have the full educational experience they would have otherwise had in person, which led to decreased retention of educational material across the board. Programs offered statewide and in local communities like Alamance and Craven counties seek to help students recover from various forms of learning loss. 

Often a lonely and isolating profession, farmers experience increased rates of anxiety and depression. Studies find farmers have a higher than average suicide rate when compared to the general population. One solution serving farmers struggling with mental health concerns helps them talk to people they do feel comfortable opening up to: other farmers. 

Chatham & Stanly Counties Small farms have problems dealing with crop loss and other issues related to extreme weather events such as flooding and droughts. A recent report predicts that increases in extreme precipitation are likely to increase inland flooding, … Read more

Beaufort, Hyde, Martin, Tyrrell, Washington & Wilkes Counties The opioid epidemic has impacted communities across the country. Substance use can be especially hard to combat in rural communities due to limited resources for prevention, treatment and recovery. Meet local leaders … Read more

Columbus & Lee Counties The COVID-19 pandemic has been full of uncertainty and stress. Children are among the most impacted with distance learning and isolation, and experts say there’s reason to believe traumatic stress for children is on the rise.

Buncombe & Forsyth Counties Nearly 90% of adults aged 65 and over want to stay in their current home and community as they age. However, experts say that there are many barriers that are preventing aging residents from aging in … Read more

What are cross-sector collaboratives? The short answer is that these collaboratives tackle challenges that are too complex for any single individual, organization, or even sector to solve alone. Sometimes referred to as “wicked problems,” addressing these challenges requires a wide range of expertise from diverse stakeholders working in the non-profit, for-profit, and government sectors. ncIMPACT Initiative specializes in bringing these stakeholders together.

  Cumberland, Hoke, Scotland, Richmond, Montgomery & Durham Counties Black mothers and babies are dying at disproportionate rates across the country. Numbers from the World Health Organization show that maternal mortality rates more than doubled in the US from 1990 … Read more