Grants & Initiatives
Collaborative Grants
Special Initiatives
- Assistive Technology Demonstration & Lending Site
- First Years of Teaching
- Hill Center Regional Education Model
- National Board Certified Teachers
- NC Science Olympiad
- Phi Delta Kappa
- Praxis I Workshops
- Praxis II Workshops
- Razor Walker Awards
- Reading Institute
- Women in the Deanship
Assistive Technology Demonstration and Lending Site
The Watson School of Education, through funding by the United States Department of Education, is in the developing stages for the creation of an Assistive Technology Demonstration and Lending Site. This will be a model facility that focuses on persons with disabilities and those who provide education, therapy, intervention and care for them and which holds new and innovative materials and equipment.
The Assistive Technology Demonstration and Lending Site will provide an avenue for educating persons on the availability and use of assistive technologies that can provide the freedom and independence desperately sought by many persons who are faced with temporary or lifelong challenges due to their disabilities.
Learn more about the Assistive Technology Demonstration and Lending Site >
C4S - Coalitions 4 Success
Coalitions 4 Success is designed to help fulfill the mission of the federal “No Child Left Behind” legislation by providing partnerships between the Watson School of Education and the College of Arts and Sciences as well as with school systems with large population of students in poverty. The goal of Coalitions 4 Success is to ensure the success of at-risk, diverse student populations, specifically those identified as Limited English Proficiency (LEP). The partnership project will focus on improving teachers’ and principals attitudes, knowledge, skills and abilities in working with at-risk students and diversity..
Learn more about the C4S program >
Hill Center Regional Education Model
Through multi-year funding from the Robertson Foundation, The Hill Center has partnered with the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) and the Brunswick County Public Schools in Eastern North Carolina to implement and further evaluate the efficacy of The Hill Center’s innovative, research-based Reading Achievement Program (HillRAP) model for closing the achievement gap for at-risk, low-performing public school students.
MGEEL - Middle Grades Educators Empowering Learners
The purpose of this project, Middle Grades Educators Empowering Learners, is to unite a coalition of educators, including education and college of arts and sciences faculty partnered with public school educators, to build the region’s capacity to ensure the success of middle grades students, particularly those who are at risk of being unsuccessful in classrooms and traditional school environments.
Learn more about the MGEEL program >
NCTeach
NCTeach is a program designed to provide mid-career college graduates with the opportunity to become teachers especially in high demand areas. The program provides coursework that consists of six modules delivered during one summer (totaling 210 contact hours) and sessions throughout the fall and spring semester (40 contact hours each semester). Persons completing this program are expected to complete the initial licensure requirements at their host sites, adding content area coursework as needed.
The NCTeach curriculum modules focus on the foundations and pedagogy for teacher preparation. These are organized in six strands: 1) the professional role of the teacher, 2) understanding the learner, 3) effective teaching in general, 4) effective teaching in the content area, 5) technology, and 6) the school environment.
Learn more about NCTeach >
NCQuest
NC Quest is a joint-sponsored program between the University of North Carolina at Wilmington’s Watson School of Education/College of Arts and Sciences, and coalition partner school districts in Southeastern North Carolina.
NC Quest is designed to help fulfill the mission of the federal “No Child Left Behind” legislation by assisting middle school math and science teachers in increasing their knowledge in both content and instructional practice, and by increasing the number of skilled mentor teachers to promote teacher development and retention.
Praxis I Workshop
Praxis One workshops are designed to give an overview of both the PPST and the CBT followed by breakout sessions in math, reading and writing. Additional tutoring times with the presenters (if desired) will be provided.
Please go to our Academic Advising website to get the latest information for Praxis I Workshops.
Praxis II Workshop
Prepare for the Praxis II test. Learn strategies for successful test-taking, writing essays, lesson plans, and other areas that are essential for this test. Presented by Rodney Estrada, a well-known national consultant for Praxis preparation.
Please go to our Academic Advising website to get the latest information for Praxis I Workshops.
National Board Certified Teachers
The Watson School of Education's "National Board Certification Support Program" for educators in our partnership districts began in 2001 and has continued to be a valuable resource for participants. The Watson School of Education will provide support for National Board Candidates throughout the 2005-2006 certification cycles.
We have structured the activities and delivery sequence to provide increased support for all candidates and to address the changes implemented by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.
Visit the National Board Certified Teachers website >
Reading Institute
The K-8 Reading Institute is sponsored by the Watson School of Education's PDS University-School Partnership and SouthEastern Regional Vision for Education (SERVE).
30 Contact Hours: Exploring Effective Ways to Support Growth in Research Based Reading Instruction
First Years of Teaching
The Watson School of Education supports its graduates in the first three years of their teaching career through the 1st Years of Teaching Leadership Program. This program engages teachers in reflective decision-making focused on developing instructional practices that increase student performance.
Visit the First Years of Teaching website >
Razor Walker Awards
An Award for Distinguished Service to the Children and Youth of North Carolina
Since 1993, the Watson School of Education has honored individuals whose vision, tenacity, courage and sacrifice have made a difference in the lives of young people in our state. Many of these individuals have overcome great obstacles and taken significant professional risk to support the education and health of children and youth.
Visit the Razor Walker Awards website >
Phi Delta Kappa
The mission of PDK International shall be to promote quality education, with particular emphasis on publicly supported education, as essential to the development and maintenance of a democratic society.
Visit the PDK website >
North Carolina Science Olympiad
The North Carolina Science Olympiad (NCSO) is a nonprofit organization with the mission to improve the quality of science and technology education in all North Carolina schools. The NCSO accomplishes its mission through professional development workshops, summer institutes, after school programs, summer camps and intramural, regional, and state tournaments that are rigorous academic interscholastic competitions that consist of a series of individual and team events that are well-balanced between the various science disciplines of biology, earth science, chemistry, physics, and technology.