NC BOLD East 2026 Day 1 Croatan High School

The conversation about screens in schools usually gets stuck on the wrong question: how much is too much? This interactive 60-minute session for district and principal leaders offers a better one that is grounded in research.  We will look at the real difference between active and passive screen use, and a grade-band approach to gradually releasing responsibility to students as they grow. Join us for a shared lens and honest space to think together, grounded in the NCDPI Guidance for Purposeful Screen Use in Schools.

This session explores student-focused micro-credential pathways designed to build digital literacy, online safety, AI literacy, and social-emotional wellness skills aligned to North Carolina House Bill 959. Participants will examine how students develop and demonstrate skills related to responsible social media and AI use, misinformation detection, personal security, ethical technology use, digital citizenship, and healthy online behavior through developmentally appropriate learning experiences.

What does digital accessibility mean for the everyday work of the school system staff? This practical session will provide a plain-language overview of the ADA Title II digital accessibility rule, the WCAG 2.1 AA standards, and common barriers found in school-created digital content. Participants will examine examples from Google Docs, Slides, Forms, links, images, videos, PDFs, and shared resources, then use a simple checklist to identify what should be improved before content is posted or shared. Participants will leave with practical accessibility habits they can begin using immediately in their districts.

What does digital accessibility mean for the everyday work of the school system staff? This practical session will provide a plain-language overview of the ADA Title II digital accessibility rule, the WCAG 2.1 AA standards, and common barriers found in school-created digital content. Participants will examine examples from Google Docs, Slides, Forms, links, images, videos, PDFs, and shared resources, then use a simple checklist to identify what should be improved before content is posted or shared. Participants will leave with practical accessibility habits they can begin using immediately in their districts.

Every leader in the room was once a kid with a toy box and the lessons were there all along. In this interactive session for district and school leaders revisit six familiar toys: building blocks, a yo-yo, a kaleidoscope, a wind-up toy, a puzzle, and a kite as fresh, practical lenses for trust, resilience, perspective, follow-through, collaboration, and accountability. Through guided reflection, a table discussion, and two hands-on planning activities, participants build their own personal "leadership toy box": three habits they'll intentionally practice this quarter.