The Noyce Scholars and the West Scholars went on a joint leadership retreat to Wilmington/Wrightsville Beach October 10-12, 2015, over part of fall break. Since both sets of scholars are education majors, the focus was on leadership and how to use leadership qualities to be an effective teacher. Dr. Cynthia Osterhus, a former Teacher Education professor at Catawba, led the teambuilding activities. Dr. Karen Lucas, Assistant Director of the Academy for Teaching and Dr. Connie Lowery, Noyce Grant Project Director, assisted.
Students participated in a scavenger hunt in Wilmington and learned a lot about the historic district. Students enjoyed an eco-tour to Masonboro Island where they studied plant and animal life and enjoyed shelling and learning about the types of shells collected. Students also visited Laney High School in Wilmington which has a budding STEM program. Students were able to visit several different types of classrooms and since Laney is Michael Jordan's alma mater, students saw a replica of his basketball jersey. Another highlight of the trip was a visit to the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher which included a behind the scenes tour.
