STEP-IN Partnership Creates Pathway for Teachers

UNCW is pleased to announce a partnership with six North Carolina Community Colleges that provides a new pathway for students to pursue a high school teaching career. The Secondary Teacher Education Partnership Initiative (STEP-IN) is designed to attract students to the teaching profession by providing ease of access for students located in rural areas across the state.

Participating community colleges are: Brunswick Community College, Carteret Community College, Craven Community College, James Sprunt Community College, Lenoir Community College and Wayne Community College.

“Our secondary education program has been very successful in preparing strong high school teachers, but geography is often a barrier for students in rural communities,” said Denise Ousley, coordinator of the secondary education program at UNCW’s Watson College of Education. “With STEP-IN, distance learning options will enable students to complete courses and internships in their home districts, and teach in their own communities.”

North Carolina, like many states, has a significant teacher shortage, and the shortage is particularly acute at the high school level.

“We’re excited about the STEP-IN partnership because it creates meaningful opportunities for students in rural areas to become high school teachers in their own communities,” said Rusty Hunt, president of Lenoir Community College. “By removing geographic barriers and providing a clear, supported pathway, this initiative strengthens both our local workforce and the future of education across the state.”

A pilot of STEP-IN will be offered in January 2026. Through the partnership, the Department of History in UNCW’s College of Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts (CHSSA) and the Secondary Program at UNCW’s Watson College of Education (WCE) will create a specific course of study and timeline for students interested in pursuing a degree in history and secondary social studies teacher licensure. After completing an Associate of Arts (AA) or Associate of Science (AS) degree from a partner community college, STEP-IN students will enroll at UNCW, with all courses, field courses and internships offered in synchronous or asynchronous formats to accommodate distance learning students.

Students participating in STEP-IN will benefit from early advising to ensure they take appropriate courses and meet all prerequisite requirements for transferring to UNCW. Students will also have an opportunity to engage with UNCW faculty through digital communication and live information sessions prior to transferring to UNCW.

“Knowing our history is more important than ever,” said CHSSA Associate Dean Paul Townend. “There is a great tradition of social study teacher formation at UNCW and many years of close collaboration between Watson and UNCW’s history department. This new program will open up that experience in new ways that should be good for everyone. We’ll all be working together to bring great formation to eager future teachers who are closely connected to their communities. The real winners will be students in North Carolina schools, who deserve the best social studies teachers we can provide them with.”

The participating community colleges are all members of the UNCW Community College Collaborative (UNCW/3C), a university-community college partnership initiative created to develop strong future leaders for North Carolina’s community colleges and strengthen college and career pathways for students.

"Our collaboration with community colleges is grounded in trust and shoulder-to shoulder partnerships that support adult learners and students who wish to remain in their own communities," said Denise Henning, director of UNCW/3C. “Already, more than half of the students who enroll in undergraduate programs at the Watson College transfer to UNCW from a North Carolina community college. We are thrilled to collaborate with six strong community college partners to provide enhanced pathways for future high school teachers, and we hope to eventually expand STEP-IN to provide pathways for students who aspire to teach other subjects, including English, math and science at the high school level here in North Carolina.”

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) establishing STEP-IN was signed by all parties on April 30, and an event to celebrate the new partnership was held June 3 at UNCW’s Watson College of Education.