WNCT- A new program will help North Carolina public school teachers get the training and experience they need to provide more opportunities for their students to learn about promising careers.

Governor Roy Cooper and the North Carolina Business Committee for Education (NCBCE) are launching the Governor’s Educator Discovery Award for public school teachers across the state.

The program will provide a stipend of up to $1,000 for preK-12 traditional public and public charter school teachers to pursue a professional development experience of their choosing.

Teachers can use the grant award to attend a workshop or conference that deepens their subject area knowledge, such as a coding workshop for computer science teachers, or a session on how to create a project-based learning experience for students.

The program aims to hand out six to 12 awards during the 2018-19 school year.

To be eligible, teachers should submit a proposal that includes details about their teaching experience and the professional development activity they wish to pursue.

Applicants also need to describe how their participation in the professional development experience will enhance their efforts to create a work-based learning activity for their students. 

Applications submitted online by January 1, 2019 will be considered for the first set of awards. 

Future applications will be considered after the 15^th of April and July and beyond, if sufficient funding is available.