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Teacher Recruitment and Retention Blog

May 8, 2023

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.

Teacher Shortage Crisis

February 10, 2023

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

Collaborations to Make Aging in Place Possible 

June 6, 2022

Aging in place refers to an older adult’s desire to stay in their own home or community as they grow older. However, a number of issues associated with growing older make it difficult for many senior adults to age in place. Organizations in Buncombe and Forsyth counties collaborate to make it possible for more senior adults to age in place.  

Childhood Trauma and COVID-19

March 18, 2022

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.

Aging in Place

March 11, 2022

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

Local Sustainability Goals (Asheville Region)

January 24, 2022

Local governments across North Carolina adopt resolutions committing to measures of sustainability and reducing carbon emissions. These resolutions are designed to initiate a plan for communities to “develop a vision and implement long-term goals that address challenges” around sustainable practices, … Read more

Local Sustainability Goals in the Asheville Region

December 21, 2021

Local governments across North Carolina adopt resolutions committing to measures of sustainability and reducing carbon emissions, but western North Carolina often leads the way. Watch our PBS NC ncIMPACT Town Hall series episode on this topic by clicking the link at the end of the blog.

Overcoming Homelessness (Blog)

March 12, 2021

In the Asheville/Buncombe County area, there are an estimated 554 people homeless on a given night, which is about 21.5 in every 10,000 people. In Asheville, 40% of the people experiencing homelessness are veterans, which is significantly greater than the national veteran homelessness rate of 11%. Homeward Bound is an organization dedicated to ending the cycle of homelessness through homeless and housing services such as Housing First, along with several community partners.

Overcoming Homelessness

December 3, 2020

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) estimates that 40,056 veterans are homeless on any given night. Among veterans, women are the fastest growing segment of the homeless population. Forty-four percent of Buncombe County’s homeless population are veterans compared to seven percent nationwide. Homeward Bound of Western North Carolina collaborates with numerous community partners to overcome this problem.