Recent research indicates pronounced differences in outcomes such as employment, income, homeownership, and health when comparing young adults who have become disconnected from school or work versus those who have remained consistently connected.

Students in STEM classes report increased confidence and motivation to continue their education. Greene County program successes are attributed to valuable partnerships in the rural community, which have helped bridge the opportunity gap by providing student resources, opportunities, and support. Teachers have noted a significant culture shift in the district, with students acquiring the skills employers seek.

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.

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.

myFutureNC Local Educational Attainment Collaboratives Launched by ncIMPACT Initiative In 2018, the ncIMPACT Initiative at the UNC School of Government (ncIMPACT) and myFutureNC, with support from the John M. Belk…

Students in rural communities sometimes lack the chance to gain skills that many jobs today require. Watch this episode of ncIMPACT to explore solutions in Craven, Greene, and Gates counties that are bringing STEM education to rural schools. Counties featured … Read more

Episode Description: The workforce is evolving. More jobs than ever require post-high school education and training. Learn about collaborations in Davie and Pamlico to remove barriers for students to continue their educations and join the workforce. Counties featured in this … Read more

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.