Hoggard High School AIG Update

1/12 Mon: Ashley

1/13-16 Tues- Fri: Hoggard

Reminder: these are also exam days.

Make an appointment here

Appointments with Crudeli

Please make sure to scroll through the entire newsletter. While some of the info is the same, new opportunities are added every week.

The United States Air Force Academy Summer Seminar 2026 is now accepting applications! Applications are open now through January 15, 2026 for current high school juniors.

The Summer Seminar program provides students with a unique opportunity to experience campus life firsthand while immersing themselves in the exceptional academic and leadership environment of a U.S. service academy. Since many students are not fully familiar with the service academies or the nomination and admissions processes, this program serves as an important introduction.

See the attached flyer.

Students may access the Air Force Academy Summer Seminar application directly through the USAFA Admissions website.

Summer Residential Camps for High School Students

Each summer, the College of Engineering at NC State University offers rising 11th and 12th grade high school students the opportunity to experience engineering and get a glimpse of college life while staying on the NC State campus in Raleigh. The residential program allows students to explore a particular field of engineering in more depth while staying on campus in residential university housing.

Residential Camp Week 1: June 14–19, 2026

Residential Camp Week 2: June 21–26, 2026
Residential Camp Week 3: July 5–10, 2026
Residential Camp Week 4: July 12–17, 2026

Workshop Topics: Students will spend their entire week at camp immersed in a particular engineering workshop. They may choose from a wide variety of topics, although note, not all topics are offered all weeks. Please note, we are unable to accommodate workshop changes once an admissions decision has been made. Students are encouraged to read each program description carefully so that they can choose ones that spark their interest. Descriptions can be found here: https://engr.ncsu.edu/theengineeringplace/summerprograms/hs-residential/

This summer each applicant will only be admitted to a single workshop.

Scholarships are available.

"You can make a difference"
36th Annual Poster Contest for High School Students

High school students (Only students living in United States are eligible to enter) in grades 9 through 12 are invited to enter our 36th Annual Poster Contest for High School Students by creating a poster interpreting the theme "You Can Make a Difference".​

​

PRIZES:

• First Prize - $1,000

• Second Prize - $500

• Third Prize - $250

• Up to five Honorable Mentions of $100 each

• Entries must be postmarked by February 12, 2026

• Click Here to Enter

About THE CHRISTOPHERS: A nonprofit organization founded in 1945, The Christophers uses the media to spread two basic ideas: There’s nobody like you, and you can make a difference. The Christopher motto is: “It’s better to light one candle than to curse the darkness.”

This is a non-school sponsored trip, but chaperones are Ms. Penegar and Ms. Haney from Ashley High School. This is a yearly program and Hoggard students have participated in the past. Email them or use the QR code to learn more about going to France this summer. There are only 5 spots remaining!

Project Uplift will be held in-person for summer 2026. Join us at UNC-Chapel Hill for a day full of exploration of our campus, advice for applying to college, and opportunities to get to know other talented rising high school seniors and current UNC students. The dates for Project Uplift 2026 are as follows:

• Session 1: Saturday, May 30

• Session 2: Saturday, June 6

• Session 3: Saturday, June 13

Applications to attend Project Uplift 2026 open January 7, 2026.

Project Uplift and Uplift PLUS Virtual Information Sessions

Current high school juniors, parents/guardians, and guidance counselors are invited to attend one of two virtual information sessions to learn more about the Project Uplift and Uplift PLUS programs at UNC-Chapel Hill. The information sessions will be hosted on Zoom and led by staff from the CHEOP office. You can join a session by clicking on the corresponding link below:

• Wednesday, January 28th 2026, at 5:00pm – Zoom Link

NPR's Student Podcast Challenge is back for 2026 and is open to students in grades four through 12. For its eighth annual year, the competition will feature a special prize to mark the 250th anniversary of the founding of the U.S.

For this special challenge, our judges will be listening for stories that look back at historical events, take us to historic places, or that explore what it means to be an American. Stories of innovation, of rights and protest, arts and culture, civic engagement and governance, or personal narratives or beliefs.

The 2026 edition of the Student Podcast Challenge will open on Jan. 5 and close on May 30.

You can submit here, whenever you're ready.

The contest will be open to students in grades four through 12. The grand prize winners will be announced, after summer break, in September.

Public Archaeology Corps is a non-profit organization consisting of professional archaeologists, historians, and private citizens united in their concern over the rapid loss of archaeological sites.

Our mission is to protect archaeological sites located on privately owned land.

Archaeological sites on public lands, such as military bases or state/national parks, are protected by state and federal laws. Sites located on private land are not under any protection, and many are lost to development each year. The careful study of an intact site by professional archaeologists often adds to what we know about history; when an archaeological site is lost, a piece of history is lost as well.

Our geographical focus is southeast North Carolina, in and around Wilmington.

Click here to register as a volunteer.

paws4people®️ trains and places Assistance Dogs, empowering users to transform their lives for a better tomorrow. You can volunteer with dogs in Wilmington, NC through paws4people®️. Our volunteer opportunities include:

• Puppy socialization
• Resource development professionals
• Media management, publicity, and/or public relations professionals
• Graphic designers, copywriters, editors, videographers
• Internet professionals of all types — web technology, web design, search engine specialists, marketing, communication

Interested in short-term opportunities open to the public? Click here to fill out a volunteer interest form.

This is a perfect chance for families, neighbors, and friends to come together, give back, and make a positive impact in our community. Bring your loved ones and enjoy a fulfilling weekend while helping those in need. We encourage you to sign up and spread the word!

Volunteer Shifts:

• Tuesday-Friday, 9am-noon & 1-4pm
• Saturday, 9am-noon & 1-4pm

Projects are held inside the Volunteer Area. Occasionally, we may hold projects outside, weather permitting. Some projects include:

• Sorting bulk produce into family–size bags.
• Sorting donations from retail stores.
• Cleaning and bagging drink pouches.
• Sorting and inspecting food drive donations from individuals and corporations.
• Other activities may be available according to partner and community needs.

You can reserve your spot by following this direct link: Sign Up Here

Each month on the 2nd Saturday, CFRW conducts a community clean-up somewhere in the local Cape Fear area. Clean-ups are almost always from 9am-11am. Anyone can sign-up to join the clean-up event. CFRW staff provide gloves, trash/recycle bags, and grabbers for volunteers. Check the calendar each month as locations are usually TBD until about a week before. You should register to attend so they will have enough supplies. Click on the event in the CFRW calendar to register.

Need community service hours—or know a teen who does? Look no further. The library’s got you covered! Teens can earn service hours doing what they love—reading. Submit a short review of any book, graphic novel, or manga title from our Juvenile, Young Adult, or Adult collections and earn 1.5 hours per review (up to 5 reviews/month).

Counting these as volunteer hours? Complete the Virtual Volunteer Form first and then submit your review!

Virtual Volunteer Form • Submit Your Review

Questions? Contact Ezra Letson at eletson@nhcgov.com

NC Community Foundation Scholarships

Date: January 13

Time: 6:00 pm

The North Carolina Community Foundation offers more than 130 scholarships for students throughout the state, and students can apply through a single application. Join us to learn more about the application process: registration, application, essays, deadlines, and more.

Register Now

Click the link below to join the Scholarship Google Classroom to get all the information you need to apply. This information will be available starting DECEMBER 15th when the application opens. All seniors will also receive an email on December 14th with all necessary information.

NC TEACHING FELLOWS due Jan 31

The Teaching Fellows scholarship has been offered at NC State since 1986, and they continue to offer it to high school seniors who want to prepare to teach science, technology, engineering, mathematics, agriculture, special education, or elementary education in North Carolina public schools. The NC State College of Education is one of the nation's leaders in STEM education.

Students awarded the scholarship will receive up to $5000 per semester for up to eight semesters of their college education. Along the way, Teaching Fellow students here at NC State will receive valuable enrichment experiences, such as school and district visits, panels of practicing teachers, and topical webinars ... not to mention method and content-area courses led by leading practitioners. Students may find out more about the general NCTF application here:

NCTF application

Scholarship Value: $1,000

Awards Available: 1

Award Deadline: Jan 30, 2026

Young people spend an average of 7.5 hours a day consuming media--and this doesn't include computer use for schoolwork--according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. With technology always at the ready at your fingertips, it can be a challenge to unplug. But taking a break from technology is healthy for both the mind and body. The purpose of this scholarship is to help you understand the negative effects of too much screen time.

Who may apply: You must be a high school freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior or a current or entering college or graduate school student of any level. Home schooled students are also eligible. There is no age limit. You must also be a U.S. citizen or legal resident. Deadline: January 30, 2026

How to apply: Complete the application form including a 140-character message about technology addiction. The top 10 applications will be selected as finalists. The finalists will be asked to write a full-length 500- to 1,000-word essay about technology addiction.

How we'll select the winner: We'll select the 10 finalists based on the content of the 140-character message. The winner will be selected based on the content and creativity of the 500- to 1,000-word essay.

Go To Scholarship Application

The Leadership/Scholarship Google Classroom contains opportunities for students in all grades. Some are contests, leadership seminars, volunteer opportunities, and scholarships. The AIG coordinators are constantly adding and updating information here. Join using the button/code so you are aware of opportunities as they become available.

We are in the process of moving our NHCS Scholarship website. The old website is no longer being updated; the last updated information on the old site is November 2025. The new link below is the main location for scholarship resources.

I try not to post things for more than 2 weeks:

Hoggard Newsletter Folder 2025-2026

Ashley Newsletter Folder 2025-2026

• Jan. 15 - Amazon Future Engineers
• Jan 15 - NC School of the Arts application
• Jan 16 - NC Aviation Art Contest (ages 6-17)
• Jan. 20 - C-SPAN student documentary
• Jan. 27 - Azalea Festival Art Contest

No Deadline: Schools Meals for All Student Ambassador Program

The GAC is an independent council of families, community members, business leaders, and NHCS staff who meet monthly to support and advocate for the NHCS AIG Program. The GAC is part of the community partnership standard in the 2022-2025 AIG Plan. The council provides perspectives, information, and independent initiatives that are not shared through regular NHCS AIG communications. Please use the link below to join the GAC's mailing list for newsletters and other information for how to support your student and their school's AIG program. The remaining meetings for this school year are planned for:

January 12, 2026

February 16, 2026

March 16, 2026

April 20, 2026

All meetings are from 6:00-7:00pm at the Board of Education Building

meetings are not streamed or recorded

If you aren't sure you can make the meetings but would like to receive information from the Gifted Advisory Council, please sign up below.

Email: Jennifer.Crudeli@nhcs.net
Website: https://sites.google.com/nhcs.net/crudeliaig/home
Ashley Office: 405

Hoggard Office: 104B