Wayne has spent his career making STEM education more accessible, engaging, and fun for learners of all ages. With a focus on out-of-school learning opportunities he brings years of experience in hands-on STEM education to the team. He has a background in traditional “lab bench” science and worked in the Marine Sciences Department at UNC Chapel Hill as an undergraduate where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies with a focus in Environmental Decision Making. While at UNC he was introduced to the world of informal science education through a service learning opportunity at Morehead Planetarium and Science Center.

For over ten years Wayne helped develop and manage many of the STEM education programs at Morehead Planetarium. Through the Science Summer Camp and Morehead Afterschool Programs he developed, tested, and implemented STEM curricula for thousands of young learners in grades K-8 in a variety of science disciplines. Wayne played a major role in creating live science shows, new exhibits, STEM overnights, and field trip experiences for Morehead Planetarium and the NC Science Festival. He has even taken his love of science and education abroad and has written and developed STEM content for young learners in both China and in France for unique out-of-school learning opportunities. Wayne has a particular interest in training educators in science communication and the delivery of STEM content to varied audiences.

With the goal of making a broader impact, and continuing in his efforts to increase access to STEM learning, Wayne obtained a master’s degree in Elementary Education and Teacher Leadership from Elizabeth City State University. He took those skills to the North Carolina public school system as a first grade teacher and then as a middle school science teacher. Wayne spent a year teaching and learning at Willow Oak Montessori School where he implemented a student-driven approach to STEM education as their science specialist.

Wayne strongly believes that everyone is a lifelong learner and that providing exciting, engaging, and meaningful STEM experiences to students outside the classroom can have a lasting impact on how they perceive and engage with STEM. Through his effort at NC CAP he hopes to spread his enthusiasm for science and learning to every corner of North Carolina.

On July 14, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona launched the Engage Every Student Initiative, a bold new call to action to utilize American Rescue Plan funds alongside other state and local funds to ensure that every child who wants a spot in a high-quality out-of-school time (OST) program has one.

By helping ensure every child can access quality afterschool and summer learning programs, the Engage Every Student Initiative will provide tremendous benefits, not just for students and families but also for our workforce, our local communities, our economy, and our country. It is especially important now, as children and youth face academic, social, and mental health challenges, alongside inequities exacerbated by the pandemic. Programs offer critically important opportunities for students to learn life skills, engage with their peers, and build relationships with caring adults and mentors. But too many young people are missing out. In fact, the latest America After 3 PM study found that the families of 24.6 million children are unable to access an afterschool program, with low-income, Black, and Latinx families most likely to be left behind. For every student in an afterschool program, three more were waiting to get in.

To learn more about the Engage Every Student Initiative, click here.

Excerpt from: Grant, J. U.S. Dept. of Ed. calls for afterschool & summer for all. 07/14/2022.

To take the survey, click here.

To register for the webinar, click here.

To download the report, click here.

In the next phase of our COVID work and to celebrate the launch of the Engage Every Student Initiative, we have collaborated with the National League of Cities (NLC) on the next iteration of our map that shows where COVID funds are supporting afterschool & summer programs across the country. We’ve added nearly 150 new examples thanks to the support of the NLC, and the map now features examples for all 50 states and the District of Columbia and shows funding at the city, state, and school district levels.

The map highlights how states are spending major funding bills including the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (2020), the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act (2020), the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act (2021), Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER), and the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund.

Explore this map to see how communities across the United States are investing essential dollars into helping young people recover.

To view the map for North Carolina and National Examples, click here.

Excerpt from: Kidd, S. Afterschool Alliance. 07/22/2022.

Quality OST programs rely on a stable workforce of skilled professionals. Together, we must design quality jobs and provide support to develop and sustain the OST workforce. Join the National Afterschool Association for this webinar to learn more about NAA's Thriving OST Workforce Initiative and to provide input on the new OST Job Design Framework on August 31 at 1:00 pm.

To register for the webinar, click here.

To download the guide, click here.