The Innovation Project

With the help of our partners at k12 Coalition, TIP is helping districts implement zero-based budgeting. This method rebuilds the district’s budget from scratch annually, rather adjusting previous year’s budget, to align with strategic goals and eliminate unnecessary spending.

A new public micro-school in Elizabeth City combines AI-powered learning with hands-on projects like running an Airbnb to prepare students for future careers.

The team at Lexington City schools is innovating through TIP’s partnership with Modern Classrooms Projection – to accelerate personalized math teaching and learning.

@scontrerasPhD Great engagement today with districts NCDPI, ApprenticeshipNC and Craft Education on ramping up teaching and learning with Teacher Apprenticeships.

Did you know in 2024-25 fully adopting Opportunity Culture designs & certification for Advanced Teacher Roles was 2-3 times more likely to make school-wide high growth in NC? The initiative offers advanced paid teacher opportunities for effective teachers to expand their impact.

TIP Member District Vance County Schools, headed by Dr. Cindy Bennett, now has a Pre K - 5th grade, year-round STEAM Academy. With a focus on hands-on learning, this system helps provide an innovative, flexible choice for students and families.

Our recent statewide membership meeting brought together Superintendents, Board of Education members, senior district staff and students to learn and connect!

North Carolina public schools showed progress during the 2024-25 school year, with NC students achieving a three-year high in most standardized tests, according to new data from the N.C. Department of Public Instruction. Read more: ednc.org/9-3-2025-north…

Innovation can create greater access and opportunity for students to unleash their potential, through a more engaging and effective learning experience. What does the future of learning look like to you?

AI won’t replace skilled teachers. This take from Education Week covers the real value of purposeful usage of these AI tools. In order to optimize the talents of educators without sacrificing human connection, we need to be intentional. Read more here: edweek.org/technology/opi…

TIP and Code.org have partnered to help districts with strategic planning and implementation support for computer science graduation requirements. Our recent launch event was packed with great energy!

It’s easy for teachers to move to neighboring districts and states that pay more. That’s why it’s important to create pathways that allow them to continue to grow, earn more and unleash student potential in their home district.

From 2022-2025, TIP has quadrupled the number of initiatives supported, creating nearly 200 new school based positions and directly serving over 70,000 students to give them equitable access to great teaching and pathways to post-secondary success.

We’re so proud to share that Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public Schools recently launched the first microschool in the district. We can’t wait to see the impact it will have on the students, educators and community! 📸: ECPPS Micro School

Congratulations to Guilford County, Wake County, and Charlotte/Mecklenburg County Schools for their recognition in the U.S. News and World Report. usnews.com/education/best…

TIP created and incubated @wearesparknc. Learn how it’s preparing NC students to be future leaders in the high-tech workforce. youtube.com/watch?v=lqbCff…

At The Innovation Project, we incubate projects that can be implemented at scale across North Carolina and the nation. Listen as some of our members discuss TIP and what it means to them. youtube.com/watch?v=4vryvA…

Historic Jeanes Supervisors led schools for black students during the Jim Crow South. Today’s Jeanes Fellows, a project of TIP and the Dudley Flood Center, help schools build community partnerships thanks to funding from the Kellogg Foundation.

What does it mean to be a part of TIP? Listen to Sampson County Schools Superintendent, Dr. Jamie King share his experience.

TIP is an amazing organization and has a significant impact on students all across NC. I look forward to the continued work TIP and Spark NC will do to lead innovation in NC