Kenan Fellows Program for Teacher Leadership

Less than a week and counting. 🚗

Shoutout to our program team who, alongside our amazing faculty, plan and pull off an incredible week of hands-on PD, edCamp sessions, alumni-led workshops, a scavenger hunt, and a gathering of some of the most inspiring educators in North Carolina, all in one place.

For our 2026-27 Kenan Fellows, it all starts next Monday. Get ready for a transformational week in the NC mountains.

Special thanks to our staff members, Mark Townley, Linda Dion and Carrie Yeske Horton for giving you a behind-the-scenes peek of the tremendous amount of work that goes into planning this memorable week.

KFP alumni, drop your best advice for the incoming fellows in the comments. What do you wish you'd known walking in? 👇

Our director, Vance Kite. has a powerful piece in Education NC about his personal connection to the Kenan Fellows Program and our 26th anniversary.

Read Vance's full op-ed and then come find your people at our Reigniting Teacher Passion conference, Aug 3–4 in Chapel Hill.

Conference link in the comments.

Perspective | Where teachers become leaders: Celebrating 26 years of the Kenan Fellows Program Dr. Vance Kite, director of the Kenan Fellows Program at NC State University, shares his experience as a Fellow and a leader.

Congratulations to Kenan Fellow alum Derrike Black, Ph.D., an educator with Camden County Schools! Join us in celebrating Derrike on this achievement.

Congratulations to Camden County Schools Bruin Bridge Facilitator, Dr. Derrike Black, who was selected as a NC Department of Natural & Cultural Resources 2026 Teacher Ambassador!

These ambassadors will partner with DNCR to champion innovative, experiential, and place-based learning that connects classrooms with North Carolina’s rich cultural, historical, and natural resources, while also helping ensure that educators understand and can access the robust support DNCR provides for their critical work.

Our 2025-26 Kenan Fellows finished the formal cohort year with an impressive list of accomplishments. We pulled together this infographic showing their impact by the numbers.

Please join us one final time in congratulating this incredible group of teachers.