Tim Hall, Ph.D., Executive Director, Religion Matters
As the president of the North Carolina Council for the Social Studies (NCCSS), one of my responsibilities is to set the theme and program and lead the annual NCCSS Conference. Planning for this year’s conference has been ongoing since I took on the presidency at the end of the last NCCSS conference in February 2024.
I am excited about this year’s conference theme, “Engaging the World with Social Studies.” Our keynote speaker will be Linda K. Wertheimer, author of Faith Ed: Teaching about Religion in an Age of Intolerance. Her keynote address is titled “Teaching about Religion in Polarizing Times.”
Linda’s keynote is part of a religious literacy education (RLE) conference track that includes my colleagues from RLE: Vicki Garlock, Jenny Marvel, Upneet Kaur, and Kate Soules, PhD. I will also be (re)presenting my session from the National Council for the Social Studies conference in November titled “Why Religion Matters: Religious Literacy Education and Global Competence.”
The RLE track has been a long-term goal of mine since I was elected to the NCCSS, and I am thrilled to see it come to fruition. As many know, RLE is an important topic for me professionally. This area requires more attention in our schools, especially as our nation continues to diversify and become more globally connected. RLE is one of the solutions to combat discrimination, prejudice, racism, and religious bullying.
In closing, I encourage you to check out the rescheduled conference held on April 24-25, 2025, in Greensboro, NC, at the Koury Convention Center. We had to reschedule due to the winter storm in NC. We expect to have over 500 teachers in attendance! You can register for the NCCSS here and view the conference schedule here.
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