WATSON COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
The Watson College is pleased to announce results of its 2022 accreditation review by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). The college has received accreditation status for all undergraduate and graduate level teacher preparation programs, having met rigorous, nationally recognized standards that were developed to ensure excellence in educator preparation programs. more...
The Watson College of Education, Cape Fear Community College and New Hanover County Schools are participating in the North Carolina Educator Pipeline Collaborative. The collaborative, launched in October by the Public School Forum of North Carolina in partnership with the N.C. Office of the Governor and The Belk Foundation, seeks to improve recruitment, retention and diversity in NC’s educator workforce. Eight teacher preparation partnerships from across the state are participating in the inaugural cohort. more...
Louis Bon-Ami has joined the Watson College as a NextGen Post-Doctoral Fellow, a position created through UNCW’s partnership with North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University. The NextGen Fellowship Program is designed to create a pipeline for the universities to recruit diverse faculty. During his two-year appointment, Dr. Bon-Ami will provide strategic direction and support for diversity, workforce development and educational leadership initiatives. more...
The Watson College is pleased to announce a new collaboration between UNCW and the Federal University of Ceará in Brazil. The work, led by Dr. Daisy Barreto and Dr. José Aires de Castro Filho, focuses on Integrating STEAM and English in the Brazilian Public School System. more...
Jeremy Hilburn, an associate professor in the Watson College, was named a 2021-22 Global Teachers Education Fellow. The program, offered by the Longview Foundation, provides support for select U.S. teacher educators to design Global Learning Classrooms for their teacher candidates. more...
Jes Fyall Cardenas has been elected to the Board of Directors for the North Carolina Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Association. NCIMHA promotes and supports infants, toddlers, young children and families through relationship-focused workforce development and advocacy efforts. Dr. Cardenas is an assistant professor of Early Childhood education at the Watson College. more...
WCE’s focus on promoting diversity in the teaching profession continues to flourish. In October, the “Walk Towards Your Purpose: Becoming a Teacher of Color” initiative brought together a multigenerational group of teachers, faculty, students and prospective students for an informal dinner and networking event. On November 17, the Educators of Color Network hosted their fall meeting. The EOC Network, initiated by WCE’s PDS Office brings educators from across the state together to collaborate on teacher recruitment, retention and advocacy. more...
Isaac Bear Early College High School may soon have a new building on campus. The school, opened in 2006 as a partnership between New Hanover County Schools and UNCW, serves over 200 students. With funding from the state and approval from the UNCW Board of Trustees, planning for the new facility began this fall. UNCW, in collaboration with NC DPI and NHCS, is engaging broad audiences including students in the design planning process. If approved, construction could begin as early as Spring 2024. more...
D.C. Virgo, opened in partnership with UNCW in 2018, serves K-8 students in downtown Wilmington. The school is one of nine schools created under the UNC System Lab School Initiative which pairs Colleges of Education with local schools in an effort to enhance student learning and provide high quality teacher and principal training. In October, the Board of Governors Sub-Committee on Lab Schools voted unanimously to extend the UNCW-Virgo partnership for an additional five years, through the 2027-28 academic year. more...
As a doctoral student, Kayce Smith '12M, '21 Ed.D. sought to answer the question, “How can students’ experiences and perspectives help inform schools to become more equitable and inclusive?” The study began with discussions with New Hanover County high school students and graduates. Continued similar work after the study was completed led to the creation of a new policy that gives students in the county a voice in decisions that affect them. The NHC Board of Education unanimously approved Policy 4004 Student Voice on October 4. more...
The Watson College is pleased to announce plans for the 29th annual Razor Walker Awards. Each year, it is an honor for the Watson College to recognize and celebrate people whose work enhances the lives of children, families and communities in North Carolina. Nominations for the 2023 awards will be accepted through December 16. more...
Kathy Fox was featured in a story in WILMA Magazine in October. Janna Robertson and Deloris Rhodes have received Lifetime Achievement Awards from NC Project LEAD. Burt Kilpatrick ’91, ’08M was featured in a UNCW Hawk’s Eye View story. The Watson College is pleased to share these stories and other faculty, staff and alumni news. more...
The Fall 2022 Commencement Ceremony for the Watson College of Education will take place in Trask Coliseum on Friday, December 16 at 6 p.m. The event will be accessible via livestream from the UNCW homepage and Ceremony Livestream page. more...
The Watson College is pleased to sponsor a screening of “Game On UNCW: Esports + Education,” a documentary chronicling the growth of Esports at UNCW. The film, directed by Bradley Pearce and produced by UNCW’s media production team in partnership with Ray Pastore and members of UNCW’s Esports Club, will be shown January 30 at 6 pm in UNCW’s Lumina Theater. The event is free and open to the public. more...
Reconnect with your former professors and classmates at the 2023 Homecoming champagne brunch in February! The event will feature great food and a showcase from all UNCW academic areas. more...
The Watson College is pleased to announce the fourth annual UNCW/3C Challenging the Paradigm Conference. The theme of the event is “Partnerships for Sustainable Solutions to Overcome Barriers to Student Success.” Proposals for presentations are currently being accepted. Registration is open. more...
UNCW’s College of Health and Human Services is conducting a survey to determine K-12 educators’ knowledge of the early warning signs of Type-1 Diabetes, a diagnosis that often occurs during the K-12 years. Survey responses are anonymous and will be accepted through mid-March. We hope you will consider participating in this important research! more...
Ten graduate students enrolled in Higher Education programs at the Watson College completed internships at Maynooth University in the Republic of Ireland in October. The two-week program, coordinated by Andy Ryder and Symphony Oxendine, was designed to give students a global perspective of higher education and hands-on experience in a variety of campus offices including the Career Center, Chaplaincy, International Office and Student Affairs. more...
Thirty students enrolled in secondary education programs at the Watson College participated in an 1898 Memory Walk in downtown Wilmington in October. The tour was part of an interdisciplinary project designed to prepare future teachers to work together across disciplines, use community resources and include an equity focus. This year’s project focused on the historical significance of the 1898 Wilmington Coup and its lasting impact. more...
In September, the Onslow Extension Lab introduced an Engagement Series for students in the Jacksonville area and beyond. The pilot program, led by Traci Bellas, features monthly workshops and professional development offerings designed to strengthen connections between WCE faculty and extension students. more...
Four graduate students enrolled in WCE’s MAT in Art Education program, Kristen Breyfogle '22M, Alexis Michelle '22M and Christine Liao presented at the NC Art Education Association’s Fall 2022 conference. Renee Otero, a retired art teacher and WCE intern supervisor received the NCAEA’s Emeritus Art Educator of the Year award. The conference was held in Wilmington in October. more...
The Watson College is pleased to share a recent UNCW “Like No Other” story featuring WCE senior Camille Bayer. Camille, an elementary education major and student ambassador president, talks about her experiences at Watson, the Honors College and studying abroad. The story was shared on the UNCW home page in October. more...
More than 50 teachers participated in a professional learning day at the Watson College on October 21. WCE’s PDS Office hosts the event each semester for partnership teachers, university supervisors and school site coordinators. The theme of this year’s event was “Renew. Reconnect. Reimagine.” more...
Through the UNCW/3C Collaborative, UNCW partners with community colleges to offer programs, conferences and professional development events for current and future education leaders. This fall, Aspiring Leaders’ Summits were held at Cape Fear Community College and Carteret Community College. more...
On November 4, the Watson College was pleased to welcome 25 beginning teachers for the first of three annual BT Conference Days. The theme of the event was “Beginning Brave.” Leah Carper, North Carolina’s 2022 Teacher of the Year was keynote speaker. Abbey Nobles '14, NC’s SE Regional Teacher of the Year, was also a featured speaker. more...
On October 28, the Watson College was pleased to welcome 125 students to the Fall 2022 Future Teacher Conference. Future Teacher events, held each semester, give high school and community college students an opportunity to visit campus and learn more about education programs at Watson. more...
Author Barbara Wright visited D.C. Virgo on November 3 to lead interactive book discussions with fourth, fifth and sixth grade students about history, writing and the power of fiction. The sixth graders received signed copies of Crow, a work of historical fiction that explores the Wilmington, NC, events of 1898. The author visit was part of NEA Big Read: Cape Fear, a program of the National Endowment of the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest led locally by UNCW’s Office of the Arts and Randall Library. more...
Fleet Feet Wilmington has generously donated running shoes to the entire D.C. Virgo cross-country team! In October, owner Michelle Fogel and her team welcomed coach Webster Guthrie and Virgo’s RIOT (Running Is Our Therapy) team to the new Fleet Feet store at the Crossroads at Independence, where each student was fitted with brand new pair of Brooks Ghost runners. more...
Join MarineQuest this summer for a commuter or residential program at UNCW. MQ offers weeklong half-day programs for students starting at age 4, full-day programs for students ages 7 and up, and residential programs for students ages 9-17. Each program follows a unique curriculum and is sure to excite the inner scientist in your child! more...
WCE faculty and staff paid tribute to Kimberly Stokes at the college-wide meeting on November 16. Ms. Kim has been a special education teacher for 30 years, and coordinator of NHCS’ Transition Program for Young Adults at the Watson College site for the past 25 years. She recently accepted a new position at Laney High School. more...
A team of Watson Walkers, led by captain Jeremy Hilburn, participated in the 2022 Cape Fear Heart Walk and raised nearly $700 for the American Heart Association. The event was held October 22 on the UNCW campus. more...
On October 7, the Watson staff enjoyed a fun team building morning with Seahawk Adventures on the low ropes course! Games and challenges focused on leadership, team building, and effective problem solving are designed to get group members working together. more...
