On June 16 and 17, educators from all across North Carolina gathered at the Proximity Hotel in Greensboro, North Carolina, for the Micro-Credential Summit and inaugural Empower EDU conference. This event was hosted by Appalachian State University’s Office of Rural Promise and organized by Darren Hudgins of Think Do Thrive with support from Theresa Gibson and Nancy Mangum of the North Carolina Rural Education Collaborative.
“The design of the 2 Day MC Summit and EmpowerEDU Convening focused on bringing together educators and researchers at the culmination of the ETL & GREAT STEM grants in order to share our learning, learn from others, and to reach new educators and districts from across the state of NC,” Theresa Gibson said.
Tuesday morning began with the Micro-Credential Summit, a half-day event facilitated by the Empowering Teacher Learning (ETL) team. Educators, researchers and experts gathered from across the United States to discuss the implementation of Teacher-Directed Professional Learning (TDPL) in their classrooms and school districts. Many of those in attendance were former ETL participants and members of the ETL Advisory Board.
The featured event of the MC Summit was the discussion of the ETL team’s findings over the past five years. The ETL team shared two white papers disseminating this information, Teacher-Directed Professional Learning (TDPL): 2026 Reimagining Professional Development for Teachers, and GREAT STEM: A Practical Professional Learning Model for Grades 9–12 Rural STEM Educators.
At 3 p.m., the conference space was transformed to set the stage for Empower EDU, a conference centered around discussion of self-directed learning, learner agency, emerging technology, and micro-credentials.
Empower EDU welcomed 200 educators, school leaders, district administrators, and educational partners from North Carolina and beyond. Educators received both a Continuing Education Credit as well as a stipend for attending.
The conference opened with a keynote from award-winning educator and author Kristin Ziemke. Her keynote encouraged educators to maximize literacy skills in their students by balancing the use of technology and printed texts in their classrooms.
Following Kristin’s keynote, four ETL teachers took the stage for the Empowering Teachers Panel. Takiyah McCathern, Assistant Principal at Wilkes Central High School, Leslie Pope Assistant Principal at Watauga High School, Allen Ingram, Social Studies teacher in Watauga County, and Melanie Watson, Band Director in Yadkin County took the stage to answer questions about their time in the ETL program.
Following their panel, conference attendees gathered for a networking reception to mingle, enjoy snacks and beverages, as well as participate in a spirited game of music bingo.
Wednesday featured a full day of over 25 breakout sessions divided into four hour-long sessions. Many of these sessions were peer-led by attendees, and featured topics such as “Tough Love- How to Manage Behavior While Building Relationships and Respect,” and “Backpack Books: Bringing Books to Every Student, No Matter the Budget.”
Eight of the featured breakout sessions centered around self-directed learning and micro-credentials. Several of these sessions were hosted by ETL teachers, allowing them to share their experiences in-depth with other educators who may be interested in making use of the TDPL model.
At Wednesday’s closing, conference organizers Theresa Gibson, Nancy Mangum, and Darren Hudgins raffled away the conference’s door prizes, which included classroom supplies, gift cards, professional development books, and the grand prize: a new iPad.
In their closing remarks, the trio reiterated the main points of the conference, highlighting the importance of fostering self-directed learning programs and embracing new methods of using technology in the classroom.
“EmpowerEDU featured multiple layers of learning. It was wonderful to see educators who have participated in the grant professional learning, now leading and teaching others,” Nancy Mangum said. “The energy of the conference highlighted the need for ongoing professional development support beyond the teachers in the initial grants.”
ETL: Empowering Teacher Learning (ETL) in Western NC, Education Innovation and Research (EIR) federal grant sward #S411C200093. Footer is the reference to the competition: U.S. Department of Education. (2019). Applications for New Awards; Education Innovation and Research (EIR) Program Early-Phase Grants. 89 FR 37185
GREAT STEM: GREAT STEM, NSF Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Research Award #2159026