Author: Patrice Hardy, DNCR Teacher Ambassadors, English Teacher at Willow Springs High School
As a transplant from the lower Carolinas, I arrived at Bennett College for Women in 1989 as a young, impressionable future teacher. Now, with thirty years of educational experience, I proudly call this state home. And as an African-American woman, I want to see my reflection and my students’ identities reflected in my state's educational content and curriculum. Engaging as a 2025 Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) Teacher Ambassador allowed me to connect to places all around the state where all our state’s stories are embraced.
As a 2025 DNCR Teacher Ambassador, I have been able to meet and engage with the best and brightest minds who care about our state and its cultural footprint. I have been in rooms where I feel seen and appreciated for my profession and values. North Carolina is expansive and DNCR wants to see everyone enjoy and appreciate our great state for all its beauty, balance, and bounty. And for our teachers, there is a depth and vastness of resources for classrooms that you must tap into!
From the mountains to the coast, DNCR offers countless free to low-cost quality sites and educational access points to bring curriculum alive for our students. This year, I am taking my students to the North Carolina Museum of Art in conjunction with our unit on the African Diaspora for my Advanced Placement Class. We will also visit the State Library of North Carolina and the State Archives to learn about and practice primary source research, while also visiting and soaking in the meaning and history of the adjacent NC Freedom Park. I am also working on virtual field trips with the folks at the NC Maritime Museum to learn about the impact of enslaved labor on the coastal culture and economy.
Our NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources is also a great place to start to curate content and curriculum that is standards-based, and that will stoke the flame of learning in classrooms across our state. Regardless of what you are looking for in terms of content, you can find it or have it customized for your class. Trust me!
High school educators often feel like most resources are tailored for our youngest learners. I can testify that if you ask for what you need, DNCR will respond. When I mentioned what I felt was a lack of curricular offerings for secondary students from the NC Symphony, their education staff immediately responded, and several meetings later, they are piloting a program to continue the exposure to and interest in classical music for secondary school students.
There is something for every teacher through DNCR. If I taught biology, I would be excited to work with our aquariums and the NC Zoo around lessons and field trips that tap into hands-on learning experiences, experiences that we educators know that truly carry back to truly impact student engagement and achievement. Our historical sites and state archives are rich in resources and they are ready to partner and bring primary sources and hands-on activities into classrooms, or host students onsite for real-life research experiences. Whether you are seeking to ponder incredible art or have your students don lab coats, secondary students and their teachers can find a place to enjoy the beauty, balance, and bounty of our state.
Check out www.dncr.nc.gov/learninghappenshere to get started or reach out to educationoutreach@dncr.nc.govmand tell them that Patrice Hardy sent you!
Classroom Resources - Use these to access standards-rich resources that you can tailor to your students.
NCMA Learn - search lessons for your class or ask for help - Don't forget to register for the educator expo held twice a year.
State Archives of NC for Educators - follow the links to see primary sources up close.
State Library of NC for Educators - Research junkies unite!
NC Historic Sites for Educators - Make history come alive at these sites that also offer virtual tours.
NC Museum of Natural Science for Educators - Professional Development opportunities and supports galore!
About the Author:
Patrice Hardy is a thirty-year public school educator who loves her chosen craft and career. She counts it a joy to "teach herself happy" daily to teens who keep her young and inspired. As a granddaughter of educators and a proud alumna of Bennett College for Women and North Carolina A&T State University, she is old school in thought and practice.
She believes that how we show up matters. You can find her with her signature pearls around her neck and that voice ringing through the halls daily to remind us of all of the reasons for the pushing and pulling and work. Patrice says “what we do matters. In every way and every interaction, we touch the future. Teaching is how I positively impact future generations. My ancestors paid too great a price for me to turn back now.”