Karen Ipock

Child Education Coordinator
252-639-3545

P.O. Box 1007
New Bern, NC 28563

As part of the Education & Outreach team, I help create and connect educational resources to schools across North Carolina. A significant part of my job involves organizing the National History Day® program for the state's middle and high school students. This yearlong program helps students develop critical thinking, research, and presentation skills. At the end of the school year, participants showcase their work in a series of contests I coordinate with educational partners in 8 regions. Additionally, I support our team at outreach events and festivals and assist DNCR locations with their educational programs throughout the year. I am passionate about encouraging creativity, civic engagement, historical inquiry, and environmental stewardship in our state's youth.

So many of my core childhood memories include school and family trips to DNCR locations - stepping aboard the Elizabeth II when it visited my town, excitedly spotting my first alligator from the Battleship NORTH CAROLINA, going to listen to the North Carolina Symphony, and countless trips to explore Tryon Palace, Fort Macon, and Bear Island! I attended Craven County Schools before receiving a Bachelor of Science in History from Appalachian State University and an M.Litt. in Visual Culture from the University of Aberdeen. I began my career with DNCR as a Historic Interpreter at Tryon Palace in 2007 before becoming their Curator of Education.  I went on to serve as a Site Manager of Historic Edenton State Historic Site before relocating to the Triangle, where I worked as a park manager of West Point at the Eno and Leigh Farm Park in Durham, coordinating nature and cultural heritage programs. In 2016, I returned to DNCR and joined the Education & Outreach Team. In my free time, I love paddling the coastal waterways of eastern North Carolina or hiking to spot North Carolina orchids in their natural habitats.

Contact Me For:

  • Creating Educational Resources for School-aged Children
  • Connecting DNCR Resources with Schools 
  • National History Day® in North Carolina 
  • NC Kids’ Exploration Journals

A Fun Fact About Me: My last name is unique to eastern North Carolina. Though Ipocks now live across the globe, we all have roots to New Bern.