Press Releases

The great jobs of today and tomorrow are in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). Yet people with disabilities remain underrepresented in these fields despite recent advances in the accessibility of information technology and other tools used by working professionals. To help turn that tide, the 6th annual STEM Career Showcase for Students with Disabilities will be held Tuesday, October 16 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.

To commemorate 100 years since the Armistice of World War I, a new exhibit in the State Capitol focuses on North Carolinians during the war. The exhibit features and is built around a personal journal on loan to the Capitol. The journal, written by college student Mabel Grant from 1918-1919, chronicles everyday life at East Carolina Teachers Training School – the predecessor to East Carolina University. While a student at the school, Mabel’s journal recounts details of her loved ones serving in the military, as well as her own efforts to help the war effort. 

Governor Roy Cooper has proclaimed October 2018 as Archives Month in North Carolina and the State Archives of North Carolina is cosponsoring an exhibit that displays both ordinary and extraordinary documents that record the history and culture of the state. 

Fall is in the air at Somerset Place State Historic Site, just in time for Crafts and Crops Day on Saturday, Oct. 20, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. With harvesttime in full swing, come and experience fun, food, arts, history and crafts for the whole family. Admission is $2 for children and $4 for adults.

The state’s highest civilian honor, the North Carolina Award, will be presented to six distinguished North Carolinians Friday, Nov. 16, at the Raleigh Convention Center. Governor Roy Cooper will present the award at a 7 p.m. banquet and ceremony. The award was created by the General Assembly in 1961 to recognize significant contributions to the state and nation in the fields of fine arts, literature, public service and science.

The North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA) has named Valerie Hillings as its next Museum director. A Duke University graduate and curator with the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation (Guggenheim) for over 14 years, Hillings is currently curator and associate director of curatorial affairs for the future Guggenheim Abu Dhabi museum. She will join the NCMA on November 1, 2018, when Dr. Larry Wheeler retires after 24 years at the helm of the Museum.

Learn how librarian Barbara Freedman uncovered her immigrant roots from Rogachev, Belarus – and found some surprises along the way – during “From Rogachev to Raleigh: Discovering Immigrant Roots,” a free program hosted by the North Carolina Government and Heritage Library, 109 E. Jones St., Raleigh, Oct. 10 at 2 p.m.

The N.C. Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library and N.C. State Parks will present “Where the Sidewalk Ends,” a free program to help those with visual and physical disabilities learn how they can enjoy America’s parks, monuments and trails, 1-3 p.m., Oct. 13, at the Beatties Ford Branch of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, 2412 Beatties Ford Road, Charlotte, N.C. 

The settlers of what was North Carolina’s western frontier were fed up with corrupt sheriffs and illegal taxes. They were driven to fight a mightier foe. Almost 2,000 backcountry farmers, called Regulators, faced off against 1,000 royal militiamen of colonial Gov. William Tryon, and were defeated. 

In celebration of October as North Carolina Archaeology Month, a series of free lectures will be presented by the North Carolina Office of State Archaeology on a broad range of subjects, including the underwater coastal heritage of North Carolina, history of channel improvements in the Cape Fear River, and Moravian pottery production in Old Salem. A student symposium showcasing archaeological research from students across the state is also planned. Lunchtime lectures and the student symposium will be held in the auditorium of the Archives and History Building, 109 E. Jones St., Raleigh.