<< Back 10/16/02 NCCAT receives $22,800 from Progress Energy SMN Progress Energy Foundation of Raleigh has awarded $22,800 to the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching of Cullowhee to support programs for teachers seeking certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. At the check presentation recently at NCCAT were Mary Kay Cooley, coordinator of NCCAT’s national board seminars; Nancy Thompson of Asheville, manager of community relations for Carolina Power and Light Co.; Mary D. McDuffie, director of NCCAT; and Gracia Slater, development director. The funds will be used to provide 24 math and science teachers from the CP&L service area with five-day residencies at NCCAT devoted to working on the portfolios required for national certification, which is a symbol of professional teaching excellence. The national certification process was established so that teachers, like professionals in other fields, can achieve distinction by demonstrating that they meet high and rigorous standards for what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do. North Carolina has more nationally certified teachers than any other state. This year a total of 480 teachers from across the state will participate in national board support seminars to be held at NCCAT. The seminars are among a variety of residential professional development activities scheduled at NCCAT this year that will attract nearly 6,000 North Carolina educators.