My Student Experience: College of Education Students Explore Educational Opportunities in Eastern North Carolina on We Teach for NC Spring Break

March 28, 2024 Ryan Clancy 2-min. read

A group of College of Education students had the chance to explore schools in Lenoir and Perquimans counties as part of the We Teach for NC Spring Break. On the trip, they visited K-12 classrooms, spoke with educators and were able to learn more about the opportunities available to teachers and students in eastern North Carolina.

“The We Teach for NC Spring Break was honestly a great experience,” said Isaiah Johnson, a middle grades English language arts and social studies major. “It’s a way to connect, not only with your NC State program but also with the teachers and principals of other communities.”

The We Teach for NC Spring Break was created with the purpose of engaging students in high-poverty, low-performing schools in rural North Carolina.

Lindsey Hubbard, the College of Education’s director of outreach and strategic partnerships, led the trip along with Transformational Scholarships Program Director Trisha Mackey, NC State Teaching Fellows Director Crystal Espey and Assistant Director of Undergraduate Student Engagement, Diversity, and Inclusion Brooke Dove. Hubbard said that the students who went on the trip were invested in learning about education in the region.

“They asked insightful questions, and they challenged themselves to critically reflect on their own perceptions of the schools we visited versus the data points that were viewed in preparation for the trip,” Hubbard said.

For Johnson, a highlight was seeing the ways the schools they visited created communities that supported their students.

“Lenoir County and Perquimans County schools know how to give into their school system and it shows when you walk into their schools and talk to their students,” Johnson said

The We Teach for NC Spring Break is also designed to expose future teachers to the benefits of living in the region, and it included a stay at the Mother Earth Motor Lodge in Kinston, a tour of downtown Hertford and, before returning back to Raleigh, a visit to Kill Devil Hills.

Take a look at some photos from the trip.