Public School Partnership Hosts Innovation Expo

On Thursday, June 15, 2023, the Appalachian State University’s Reich College of Education’s (RCOE) Public School Partnership hosted the second annual Innovation Expo, which included presentations from the 13 school districts and four schools. The event's purpose was to showcase innovative ideas and practices schools are implementing to meet the needs of students and their communities.

Each presentation focused on the following goals:

  • Identify – Locate educational innovation in the region.
  • Elevate – Support and showcase exemplary innovation work in the region.
  • Collaborate – Connect with innovation partners across the region.
  • Scale – Engage with innovation partners across the state and beyond.

“Our northwest NC region is full of such creative and innovative problem solvers who co-construct solutions for their contextual problems every day,” said Dr. Betsy Rosenbalm, director of the Public School Partnership. “The Innovation Expo is just one way that the RCOE Public School Partnership chooses to elevate and celebrate such collaboration and success each year!”

The presentations ranged from connecting high school students across the globe to moving to a four-day instructional week to conducting productive (and magical!) meetings. A complete list of topics and presenters is below.

“The 2023 Innovation Expo was a phenomenal way to collaborate, share resources, and gain insight into truly innovative practices,” noted Penny Williard, Director of Innovative Programing for Mount Airy City Schools. “Our team walked away feeling inspired by the great work happening in North Carolina public schools around us, and this event reaffirmed what we believe every day — public school works! 

“We appreciate the consistent support of App State’s Public School Partnership, and their willingness to serve others with strong support and consistent resources,” she added. 

The partnerships extended beyond the K-12 schools and included Caldwell Community College, North Carolina New Teacher Support Program, Northwest Regional Educational Service Alliance, as well as RCOE’s College Access Partnerships and Mathematics and Science Education Center.

For Amy Philyaw, STEM director and grant coordinator for Caldwell County Schools, the Innovation Expo was “a wonderful opportunity for districts to showcase their visionary leadership to surrounding counties.” 

“Learning about all the extraordinary programs and practices served as a springboard to generate ideas while inspiring growth within our own communities,” she added.

In addition to the presentations from the schools, business sponsors also shared ways they are impacting the community and schools:

  • Blue Ridge Energy - awarding grants to increase collaboration between schools and businesses.
  • District C - preparing the next generation of diverse talent for modern work.
  • GoogleLNR - awarding grants to increase collaboration between schools and businesses.
  • Merlyn Mind - integrating technology in the classroom in a seamless way.
  • My Future NC - a statewide nonprofit focused on educational attainment and is the result of cross-sector collaboration between North Carolina leaders in education, business and government.
  • Open Way Learning - providing creative ways to generate and brainstorm ideas.
  • Participate Learning - building students’ competencies into global citizens and leaders.
  • Skyline/Skybest - maintaining broadband access to the region and awarding scholarships to area students.

Full list of topics and presenters:

School District

Innovative Idea

Presenter(s)

Alexander County Schools

Coding and NCVR Adventures 

Jessica Esposito, Digital Learning and Innovation Specialist

Alleghany County Schools

Trojan Trax

Melissa Vestal, Executive Director of Alleghany Educational Foundation

Appalachian State University Lab Schools

Four-Day Instructional Week

Sean Gaillard, Principal Academy at Middle Fork


Emma Hatfield-Sidden, Principal Academy at Elkin


Hannah Reeder, RCOE Assistant Dean and Director of Lab Schools


Amie Snow, Director of Curriculum & Federal Programs

Ashe County Schools

Increasing Parent Participation 



David Blackburn, Principal of Mountainview Elementary School

Avery County Schools

The Amazing Shake 

Shannon Silver, Teacher

Burke County Schools

Multilingualism for All

Hellen Lannie Simpson, Curriculum and Instruction Director of English Language Learners

Caldwell County Schools

STEM Bus

Amy Philyaw, Director of STEM Education

Catawba County Schools

North Carolina Portrait of a Graduate: Applying Durable Skills to Real Life Scenarios

Lee Miller, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction

Elkin City Schools

Cultural Connections 

Ruthann McComb, high school science teacher


April Swarey, high school English/language arts teacher


Tonya Smith, high school vocal/music teacher

Mount Airy City Schools

Bear Bus: STEAM and Public Outreach

Penny Willard, Director of Innovative Programming

North Carolina School for the Deaf

Magical Meetings

Shirley Fore, Interim Principal


Mark Patrick, Superintendent


Thea Wilson, Audiologist

North Carolina School of Science and Math

The Instructional Insider Podcast & NCSSM Connect

Camilla Brothers, Director of Instructional Leadership


Morgan Pittman, Instructional Designer and Curriculum Specialist

Newton-Conover City Schools

N-C Teach 

Ashley Pack, Coordinator of Auxiliary Services 

Watauga County Schools

Bridge Camps for Rising 6th and 9th Graders

Meredith Jones, Director of Middle Grades Education 

Wilkes County Schools

Outdoor Classroom: Mulberry Elementary  

Callie Grubb, Chief Academic Officer


Nikki Patrick, Principal 

Winston-Salem/

Forsyth County Schools

SEL Implementation

Lindsey Hayek, Social Emotional Learning Coach


Samantha Massey, Social Emotional Learning Coach

Collage of photos from the Innovation Expo
Published: Aug 1, 2023 11:37am

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