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Five educators from four different Polk County schools participated in the 2025 William Friday Teachers Retreat: Rooted in Resilience, a professional development program held June 29-July 1 at the Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville.

Polk County Schools teachers attending the event included JJ Waddell, Marsha Davis, Michelle Richardson, Stephanie Fletcher and Julie Miller.

The retreat was sponsored by the North Caroliniana Society and organized by Carolina K-12, a program of UNC’s Carolina Public Humanities that provides free professional development programs for North Carolina teachers.

Programming included sessions on hip-hop pedagogy, mindfulness in education, and Appalachian music and storytelling. Participants attended an outdoor performance of “Unto These Hills” and explored the Thomas Wolfe Memorial.

The educators also participated in literary workshops and met three local authors whose books are set in Western North Carolina.

“It was a meaningful experience rooted in reflection, resilience, and renewed purpose,” said Fletcher.