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William & Ida Friday Institute for Educational Innovation

Friday Institute Operations and Support

The Friday Institute advances K-12 education through innovation in teaching, learning and leadership by bringing together students, teachers, researchers, policymakers and educational professionals.

The Institute is focused on addressing the pressing, near-term needs of our educational system by conducting research and evaluation, developing educational resources, leading educator professional development and student programs, advocating to improve teaching and learning, and helping inform policy-making. Collectively, the Friday Institute’s work focuses on helping K-12 schools become future-oriented organizations that build upon their traditional strengths to better serve all students.

EDUCATE

by conducting professional learning, research and evaluation

INNOVATE

by designing supports, tool and structure for educational change

INSPIRE

by convening and catalyzing stakeholders to inform standards, policy and practice

“The Friday Institute has a wealth of knowledge and research to support school districts, school children and the Department of Public Instruction. They are a value to this state and we couldn’t do this work without their input.”

Robert Taylor

Deputy Superintendent, District and School Support Services; North Carolina Department of Public Instruction

Cultivating Equity in Education Through Equity-Mindedness

Our Innovations in STEM Education Research team’s FAME project created partnerships between the Friday Institute and three local museums to engage families in STEM activities and encourage children’s interest in science, technology and mathematics.

The Friday Institute aims to cultivate equitable educational outcomes by fostering equity-mindedness across educational systems. We are committed to removing systemic barriers for learners, honoring the voices and perspectives of those who teach, lead and learn in North Carolina schools and beyond through public discourse and cross-stakeholder convenings. We believe that each learner deserves the opportunity to succeed.

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MSEN Alumni Testimonial

Jasmine Jarvis shares her experience with the Math Science Education Network (MSEN) Pre-College Program.

Watch the video
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North Carolina’s At-Home Learning Initiative

The At-Home Learning Initiative was created to help solve remote learning gaps across the state. With funds from NCDPI through the CARES Act, the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation facilitated the creation and implementation of literacy and math lessons for PreK-5 students.

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The Program Evaluation and Education Research (PEER) Internship Program for Undergraduate Students

In 2020, the PEER Group launched an internship program for undergraduate students that allowed student interns to receive training in leadership, educational research and evaluation techniques while contributing to PEER Group projects.

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“I saw everything that I want this school to stand for in what they were bringing to us. Our students have become critical thinkers, they’ve become problem solvers, they’ve become more compassionate.”

Shirlrona Johnson

Principal, Person Early College High School, Roxboro, NC

Amplifying Teaching and Learning Through Technology

The Friday Institute is committed to using technology to support the ever-changing needs of children and their teachers. Where tools may be lacking or absent, the Friday Institute creates or designs the educational supports from scratch.

100%

of districts in North Carolina have unlimited broadband access in classrooms with the help of our Technology Infrastructure Lab.

Our teams have worked with all 115 school districts

in North Carolina through professional development, evaluation, research or educational projects.

99%

of participants in our NC State chapter of the Math and Science Education Network (MSEN) have gone on to college.

5.3 Million

households reached in North Carolina on PBS-NC with lessons we developed in partnership with NCDPI to help solve remote learning gaps across the state.

Over 80,000

educators in North Carolina and from around the world were engaged remotely in our professional learning programs since 2020.

160+

countries represented in our online professional learning courses or modules.

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Friday Institute Publishes Initial Report on Rural Home Internet Access Pilot

An initial report of a pilot program to test emerging wireless technologies for rural areas finds no absolute solution to broadband challenges.ion Network (MSEN) Pre-College Program.

Read the Report
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Friday Institute Forges a Path in Online Professional Learning

Ten years ago, the Friday Institute launched an initiative focused on meeting the growing needs of schools and equipping educators with research-based professional development. Since then, online professional learning at the Friday Institute has served more than 80,000 educators in 50 states and more than 160 countries.

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Let’s Get Digital

Friday Institute’s longtime commitment to digital learning helped change North Carolina’s education landscape.

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Creating Capacity for Innovation Across Education Systems

Virtual Schools Network (VSN), a partnership between the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation and North Carolina Virtual Public School (NCVirtual) supports and connects traditional virtual public schools. During this year’s Summer Institute, virtual school educator teams had time to connect, collaborate, reflect, learn and plan for the future of their schools.

The Friday Institute is committing resources, research and a wealth of partnership efforts to support educators via innovative strategies for teaching and learning in real-time. We convene stakeholders toward implementation and scale for initiatives worthy of further investment.

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LASER Institute Scholars Gather for First In-Person Workshop for Learning, Community and Collaboration

The LASER Institute, a professional development program for early and mid-career researchers, held its first in-person weeklong summer workshop July 11-15 at the Friday Institute to support its scholars in their professional development throughout the year.

Learn more about the Institute
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Person Early College Sees Success with the Project-Based Inquiry (PBI) Global Program

Person Early College for Innovation and Leadership has started their fourth year of collaboration with the Friday Institute’s PBI Global team.

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New NCDPI Grant Will Facilitate Training of 1,100 Educators to Teach Computer Science in Every Middle and High School in North Carolina

A three-year $1.8 million grant from NCDPI will give the Friday Institute the ability to expand its computer science teacher professional learning program so every middle school and high school in North Carolina has a highly qualified computer science teacher.

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“The partnership between Centennial Campus Magnet Middle School, the NC State College of Education and the Friday Institute is unique. Our location on campus makes it easy to work collaboratively and gives us the opportunity to participate in and help develop innovative education practices. Together, we are building a community that improves and creates quality education for all learners.”

Lindsay Strickland

Magnet Coordinator and University Connections Liaison, Centennial Campus Magnet Middle School

Hollylynne Lee and Gemma Mojica Host Online Workshop for Teachers As New Co-Chairs for the American Statistical Association’s Meeting Within a Meeting

After 15 years, the American Statistical Association’s Meeting within a Meeting, a statistics workshop for K-12 teachers, has two new program co-chairs: Friday Institute’s Hollylynne Lee and Gemma Mojica.

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PEER Group Acting Director Callie Edwards Receives NC State’s Award for Excellence for Human Relations

Callie Womble Edwards, acting director of the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation’s Program Evaluation and Education Research (PEER) Group, was awarded NC State’s Award for Excellence for Human Relations for her work creating a diverse, welcoming workplace for staff and students.

Learn more about Callie