UNC School of Education

09/04/2026

Johna Speller came to the School with experience leading and working within nonprofit organizations. Through HOLD at UNC School of Education, she says she has developed new ways to understand how people and organizations work while becoming more confident navigating the challenges that come with leadership.

Speller, who is also a double major in political science with a minor in entrepreneurship, brought that learning to her capstone with Emancipate NC, where she researched how the Durham-based nonprofit could extend successful community initiatives to more communities across the state while working within the capacity of its small team. During the experience, she examined research on scaling and organizational capacity, considered how existing partnerships could support the organization’s work, and explored how data could inform decisions about adapting initiatives for different communities.

For Speller, the capstone enabled her to apply what she had learned in the classroom to a real organizational need while continuing to develop her skills as a leader. Hear more from Speller about her capstone experience and how she and her peers applied their learning through work with partner organizations. https://bit.ly/3T4C96S

09/02/2026

Your support today helps support tomorrow’s teachers! ️🩵📚

With a $100 gift to the Teacher Box Campaign, you can provide classroom supplies for a new UNC School of Education graduate entering their first year of teaching. Donate today to have your gift matched dollar-for-dollar! ️Donate here. https://unc.live/SOETeacherBox

Master of Arts in Teaching at UNC School of Education

09/01/2026

Summer may be nearing its end, but we’re still reflecting on the experiences that made this season meaningful for members of our School community. This summer, a group of recent Master of Arts in Teaching at UNC School of Education alumni spent five days in the mountains of Western North Carolina through a Maymester wilderness course offered in partnership with the North Carolina Outward Bound School. ⛰️☀️🌳🪨

Throughout the expedition, participants backpacked through mountainous terrain and hiked several miles each day while carrying their gear. They also took part in a half-day rock-climbing experience and worked together through challenges along the way. By experiencing experiential education from the learner’s perspective, participants considered how these approaches can help them create supportive, student-centered classrooms for young learners. To learn more about the UNC MAT Outward Bound Wilderness Course, visit https://unc.live/4iEl0ez

09/01/2026

Since its launch in 2022, Carolina Community Academy, an innovative K-2 lab school in Roxboro, North Carolina, has brought together UNC-Chapel Hill, Person County Schools, a range of Carolina schools […]

08/31/2026

Kara Hume, Ph.D., is collaborating with researchers at Queen's University Belfast to support more accessible and inclusive fitness spaces for people with disabilities.

The team has hosted co-design workshops with people who have lived experience with disabilities and exercise professionals, using their perspectives to inform resources for gym owners and staff. Their collaboration extended to Chapel Hill this summer, where Hume and Queen’s researcher Alexandra McDonnell co-led an inclusive “Power Hour” fitness class at CrossFit Chapel Hill.

Discover more from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill about how this partnership is helping shape resources for more inclusive gym environments. https://unc.live/4zG5pBr

Video Credit: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

08/28/2026

As excitement builds around 's connection to Ireland through football, Carolina and Dublin are also connected through education research.

Dorothy Espelage, Ph.D., William C. Friday Distinguished Professor of Education and a leading researcher on bullying prevention and student well-being, and Dublin City University's James O'Higgins Norman have collaborated for nearly a decade. Their work has included leadership in the World Anti-Bullying Forum and research that helped inform a new UNESCO definition of bullying as schools respond to changing student experiences and online environments.

Their partnership also supports emerging scholars through opportunities such as Espelage's recent master class for doctoral students in Dublin.

Explore more from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill about how this international collaboration is shaping research and informing policy and practice.

UNC School of Education professor Dorothy Espelage works with Irish counterpart James O’Higgins Norman to make an impact in schools.

08/27/2026

Families often think about kindergarten readiness in terms of academics, but children also benefit from learning how to communicate their needs, follow routines, and navigate a classroom with greater independence. Faculty member Annemarie Hindman, Ph.D., developed the Transition to Kindergarten Toolkit with Person County Schools to give families and caregivers practical, research-informed strategies they can use before the first day of school.

Hindman, who leads the Carolina READERS (Research in Early Applied Development & Early Reading Skills) Lab, highlights five ways caregivers can support kindergarten readiness:

- Talk with your child
- Read books with your child
- Teach the basics
- Build social skills and independence
- Get ready to move

Learn more about these five strategies and how families and caregivers can use them to help children prepare for kindergarten.

As children prepare for their first K–12 classroom, many families focus on learning the alphabet, counting to 20, or recognizing colors and shapes. While those foundational skills certainly matter, UNC […]

08/26/2026

Kathryn Leech, Ph.D., the Richard “Dick” Coop Faculty Scholar in Education, is contributing her expertise in early childhood language and literacy development to a new Sesame Workshop initiative.

This summer, she joined national experts in New York City to discuss how young children develop the skills and confidence that support lifelong learning, including in a future shaped by artificial intelligence. Their work will help guide a multi-year program that brings playful learning resources to public libraries.

Read more about how Leech and fellow experts are helping shape Sesame Workshop’s approach to lifelong learning in early childhood.

Kathryn Leech, Ph.D., an associate professor and the Richard “Dick” Coop Faculty Scholar in Education at the UNC School of Education, is helping Sesame Workshop shape a newly launched initiative […]

08/26/2026

Each first day of classes, UNC School of Education faculty member Kristin Papoi, Ph.D., rings her grandmother’s 100-year-old school bell. Thelma Papoi began teaching in 1921, and Papoi now carries on her legacy by preparing future educators at . ✨

Read more from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill about how this family tradition connects generations of teachers. ⤵️

08/25/2026

A new summer learning opportunity at Carolina Community Academy began with listening to families and giving UNC School of Education students space to put their learning into practice.

Recent graduates Roxanne Dudley ('26 B.A.) and Anna Page Lancaster ('26 B.A.Ed.) helped shape CCA’s first free, three-week summer camp through their respective undergraduate experiences. Through her HOLD at UNC School of Education capstone, Dudley gathered feedback from CCA families, including their interest in summer programming, while Lancaster used her Human Development & Family Science at UNC-Chapel Hill internship to help turn that interest into a plan by researching community organizations, developing weekly themes, identifying potential partners, and beginning to coordinate field trips and enrichment opportunities.

Read more about their internships and the people who helped turn the summer camp vision into reality.

Since its launch in 2022, Carolina Community Academy, an innovative K-2 lab school in Roxboro, North Carolina, has brought together UNC-Chapel Hill, Person County Schools, a range of Carolina schools […]