NC Rural Center

Rural Assembly is holding a free, 90-minute live national broadcast for rural communities across the country on July 23 at 1 p.m. ET.

The event, Rural Assembly Everywhere, is for rural leaders, community members, advocates, and allies, and will include discussions as well as community spotlights.

To register and find out more, visit: ruralassembly.org/everywhere

BUILDING RURAL FUTURES: News and opportunities for rural North Carolina

🔸SEA Change is accepting applications for its free 16-week social enterprise accelerator cohort in North Carolina through July 6: https://ow.ly/icaQ50Z8e6u

🔸NC State University's Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research has announced a three-year initiative to support the state's rural workforce and strengthen leadership capability and strategic planning at rural community colleges: https://ow.ly/Cw0G50Z8e6t

🔸Harnett Regional Jetport has received a $500,000 Golden LEAF Foundation grant for an expansion project expected to support millions of dollars in private investment and create 10 new jobs: https://ow.ly/B9Tf50Z8e6w

North Carolina | SEA Change Your enterprise has identified a non-negotiable positive social impact, and is committed to measuring and monitoring impact,

RURAL EDUCATION NEWS: Recent education stories for rural North Carolina

🔹The Robesonian writes about the work being done ahead of the Robeson Career and Technical Education Center's anticipated August opening: www.robesonian.com/news/341033/from-renderings-to-reality-robeson-ctec-takes-shape-ahead-of-opening-in-august

🔹Education NC looks at how the state's 58 Small Business Centers help entrepreneurs start and run new businesses, especially in rural areas: www.ednc.org/inside-north-carolinas-small-business-centers-and-their-role-as-economic-development-engines

Inside North Carolina’s Small Business Centers and their role as ‘economic development engines’ Located at North Carolina's 58 community colleges, Small Business Centers serve as economic development engines for their community.

Dogwood Health Trust has released a Hurricane Helene playbook that captures not only what occurred and how DHT responded, but also what they learned along the way.

The playbook includes case studies, community stories, action steps, and a disaster readiness and response checklist. It's a resource designed to assist funders and other organizations as they support their communities both now and in the future.

You can read the full playbook here: dogwoodhealthtrust.org/hurricane-helene

Dr. Heather Kilbourne, the senior director of our Faith in Rural Communities program, recently gave the keynote at the Southwestern Commission Area Agency on Aging's annual spring conference.

The event, themed "Anchored in Faith, Growing in Action," brought over 100 Western North Carolina individuals together from churches, faith-based organizations, nonprofits, and other community partners.

Education NC shared an excerpt from N.C. Community College System President Jeff Cox's May 15 address to the State Board of Community Colleges. The address marked the last time Cox would speak to the board as system president ahead of his upcoming retirement on June 30.

In his remarks, Cox discussed both what he calls the system's "secret sauce" — its governance structure — and some of the opportunities that the system could benefit from undertaking in the future.

Read the full piece: www.ednc.org/perspective-nc-community-college-system-president-jeff-cox-shares-parting-advice

Perspective | NC Community College System President Jeff Cox shares parting advice Jeff Cox, the outgoing president of the N.C. Community College System, shared parting advice during his last address to the State Board.

RURAL NEWS IN REVIEW: News about rural North Carolina

🔹Education NC shared a story from Enlace Latino NC about a long-term plan to create Western North Carolina's first textile cooperative run by Latino workers: https://ow.ly/8Ogq50Z7MvX

🔹The Winston-Salem Journal | JournalNow covered the news that Novant Health has acquired Community Hospital of Stokes in Danbury, with around 200 employees: https://ow.ly/ykSh50Z7MvV

🔹Business North Carolina wrote about Kinston's new Sen. Jim Perry Aviation Center for Excellence at Lenoir Community College. The center will teach aviation management, career pilot technology, aviation systems technology, and short-term training programs: https://ow.ly/KsUo50Z7MvW

🔹NC Newsline reported on the bill the North Carolina House passed last Wednesday that sets a number of regulations on data centers: https://ow.ly/WJJb50Z7MvY

The dream of a Latino textile cooperative in western North Carolina The Intensive Industrial Sewing Workshop offers a free, Spanish-language sewing curriculum and a state-recognized certification.

When translated from Latin, Transylvania means beyond or through the trees. And at work currently in North Carolina’s Transylvania County is Yvette Brooks, the founder of the Brevard nonprofit Through the Trees, which aims to help bridge the digital divide.

Before Through the Trees, Yvette was working at a nonprofit helping victims of domestic violence access resources like food, housing, and legal aid. Then, the pandemic hit in 2020. "The phones stopped ringing and people stopped coming in. But I know that money and the lack of it can be a big pressure cooker for stress, which can then also maybe potentially lead to more domestic violence and abuse," she says.

She also became worried that the lack of affordable internet in Transylvania County might impede people's access to important information, adding even more stress for families. So she began Through the Trees to help advocate for people who needed broadband access.

We spoke with Yvette to learn more about how Through the Trees has grown over the years to help other people in the region gain access to the internet: www.ncruralcenter.org/2026/06/through-the-trees

Morgan Talton, our Faith in Rural Communities team church engagement specialist and one of our Connect Church coaches, shared this recent update about one of our past Connect Church churches:

"Edenton United Methodist Church, a 2025 Connect Church congregation, is bringing together local partners to help address one of the community’s biggest needs: affordable housing.

Working alongside organizations including ECU Health Chowan Hospital, Wesley Community Development, Albemarle Area United Way, Inc, Chowan-Perquimans Habitat for Humanity, Carolina Rebuilding Ministry, and churches and volunteer teams from across Chowan County, Edenton UMC is helping repair homes for local residents, create workforce housing opportunities, and plan for future affordable housing that will support teachers, first responders, healthcare workers, and families in the Edenton community.

Last month, one of these home repair projects reached an exciting milestone as Carolina Rebuilding Ministry and the Town of Edenton hosted a joyful home blessing celebration for a newly remodeled house that is almost ready to welcome its new residents home. What started as a need for critical repairs became a beautiful example of what can happen when volunteers, churches, organizations, and neighbors come together to serve their community."

The NC Public Education Champions Network is holding a Strategic Plan Refresher & Office Hours for Champions webinar Wednesday, June 10, at 5 p.m.

The Champions Network is a NC Public Schools program aligned to Pillar 8 — Galvanize Champions to Fully Invest In and Support Public Education — of the Achieving Educational Excellence 2025-2030 Strategic Plan.

The first half of the event will cover:
🔹How the strategic plan was developed
🔹The plan's eight pillars guiding strategic actions
🔹How the success of actions are measured

The webinar's second half is to gather input and answer questions related to the strategic plan or other topics.

Register here: https://ow.ly/42HF50Z8cR1

To learn more about the strategic plan, visit: https://ow.ly/laga50Z8cR0