WNC Resilience Project Spring 2026: Updates and Opportunities

Momentum is building across Western North Carolina.

Educators are turning ideas into action. Teams are testing change ideas, launching small experiments, and building partnerships that strengthen this work over time. Across the region, we’re starting to see what’s possible when schools, students, and communities move together.

How do you want to engage right now?

👉 Join us in person (April 23 Spring Convening)

👉 Share what’s happening in your school or district (5-minute check-in)

Join the Spring Convening (April 23 – Asheville)

Join educators from across WNC for a half-day working session focused on moving change ideas forward.

This is not a sit-and-get session. It’s a chance to:

• Engage with student-centered ideas already in motion

• Collaborate across schools and districts

• Identify a small, actionable next step for your team

  
  

Participants will work with their teams, connect with partners, and leave with something they can try right away. Teams of 2–4 are encouraged. Participation support is available for Innovation Partner teams.

👉 RSVP for the Spring Convening📍 Land of Sky Regional Council | 1:00–5:00 PM

5-Minute Check-In: Help Shape What’s Next

Across the WNC Resilience Project network, educators and partners have been doing the work. Testing ideas. Navigating challenges. Creating new possibilities for students.

Now we need to learn from that.

This short check-in (5–7 minutes) will help us:

• Understand what’s working

• Identify what support is needed

• Shape upcoming convenings and supports

Click Here to Share Your Perspective - 5 Minute Survey

Microgrants in Action: Early Bright Spots

This spring, microgrants are supporting educator-led innovation across WNC. These are small tests grounded in real needs. Teachers try something, see what happens, and adjust. Over time, those small tests begin to add up.

Across this cohort, students are doing real work:

• At one school, 7th grade students are running a coffee business (“Coffee on 7th”), tracking sales, adjusting pricing, and calculating profit margins

• At another, students are designing a resilience garden—mapping the space, selecting native plants, and creating something lasting for their community

• Some teams are strengthening belonging through simple advisory routines, using structured check-ins so every student is seen and heard

• Others are extending learning into the community, researching topics like emotional support animals and preparing proposals for real audiences

As these projects move forward, educators continue testing, reflecting, and sharing what they learn.

Small, student- and teacher-driven tests can lead to meaningful change.

Expanding the Work: New Support from Dogwood Health Trust

Open Way Learning and the WNC Resilience Project have received new support through the Dogwood Health Trust Collaboration & Innovation Grant.

This next phase will:

• Expand the coalition

• Deepen partnerships across the region

• Strengthen the shared work of reimagining education alongside schools and communities

👉 Read more about what’s ahead

Connect Students to the Community

We’re excited to partner with CommunityShare to help educators connect students with real people, real work, and real opportunities across WNC.

This is about both:

• Bringing community into the classroom

• Getting students out into the community

CommunityShare helps make that possible.

Educators can:

• Find local experts to support projects and exhibitions

• Design place-based and problem-based learning experiences

• Access professional learning to support implementation

  
  

👉 Create your free account and explore connections

👉 Explore professional learning opportunities

Resources for Resilience (Free Workshops)

Resources for Resilience is offering free workshops and trainings this spring focused on:

• Managing stress

• Preventing burnout

• Building resilience

  
  

Options include:

• Weekly listening circles

• Full-day sessions like Recharging Resilience

• Multi-part resilience series

  
  

These are highly relevant for educators and anyone supporting young people right now.

👉 Explore the full calendar

The WNC Resilience Project is made possible through the collective effort of educators, students, and partners across Western North Carolina, with support from the Leon Levine Foundation and Dogwood Health Trust.