Politics
Innovative digital teaching, learning supported in grants exceeding $1.2M
The Center Square – More than $1.2 million in grant funding is headed to 15 public school districts and two public charter schools in North Carolina to…
By Alan Wooten · 2026-09-22T21:10:01.819Z
The Center Square – More than $1.2 million in grant funding is headed to 15 public school districts and two public charter schools in North Carolina to support innovative digital teaching and learning initiatives, says the Department of Public Instruction.
Urban and rural districts alike are aided in the byproduct of a 10 year old collaboration authorized by the General Assembly partnering the State Board of Education and the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation at N.C. State University. The Digital Learning Initiative Grant Program funding was approved by the State Board of Education.
Anson County Schools, Asheville City Schools, Elizabeth City Pasquotank Public Schools, Johnston County Public Schools and Research Triangle High School – awarded a combined $217,425 in the 2026 27 Instructional Innovation Grant – have initiatives aligned with the North Carolina Digital Learning Plan and digital learning competencies established by the International Society for Technology in Education. Students’ opportunities will be created to strengthen agency, engagement, critical thinking, collaboration, creativity and authentic application of knowledge.
Educators will be able to increase capacity for transformation of teaching and learning.
One dozen districts are sharing more than $1 million in either their respective second or third year of Digital Learning Impact grants. Development, implementation and evaluation of innovative digital teaching and learning practices are supported.
The districts or schools are Alamance Burlington School System; Buncombe County Schools; Catawba County Schools; Chatham County Schools; Cumberland County Schools; Edenton Chowan Schools; Guilford County Schools; Lake Norman Charter; Moore County Schools; Orange County Schools; Randolph County Schools System; and the Wake County Public School System.
In a release, Dr. Vanessa Wrenn of the Department of Public Instruction said, “The goal of the program is to identify, elevate and share effective models of instructional innovation that demonstrate digital leadership, strengthen educator practice and improve student learning. Through statewide collaboration and sharing of promising practices, these locally developed models can inform and inspire high quality digital teaching and learning across North Carolina’s public schools.”
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This story originally appeared on thecentersquare.com https://www.thecentersquare.com/north carolina/article 25c7fb83 c323 42b2 9856 4bafd4079fe8.html .