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.

Staffing shortages remain a problem for many schools. In North Carolina, all grade levels suffer from a lack of math and special education teachers, while elementary schools lack qualified educators for all core subjects. Discover how school districts are getting … Read more

School safety encompasses a number of issues, such as student mental health, peer-to-peer interactions and bullying, and the physical safety of students while they are at school. Gates County is one of three rural counties (including Duplin and Stanly) partnering with RTI International on their All Hands on Deck program. Henderson County partners implemented a new safety plan to enhance both the physical safety of students in the schools and their mental and emotional health. 

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The issue of community and police relations acquired a great deal of public attention in recent years. In 2017, Mayor Sammy Phillips of Jacksonville, NC launched the “One City, Our City, My City” campaign to promote respect, caring, and collaboration among the community. The Jacksonville Police Department adjusted their training and review procedures around use of force incidents and decreased their use of force numbers from 103 instances in 2012 to 23 instances in 2018.

Get Set Transylvania The “Get Set Transylvania” initiative began in 2015. Now, many families are moving to the area, in large part, because of its reputation as a great place to raise children. Digital Extra 1:Get Set Transylvania draws national … Read more