Discover Summer Challenge
Join us from June 19 to August 20 as we discover summer across North Carolina!
The summer is a great time to explore all the natural and cultural wonders of our state! We invite you to take the Discover Summer challenge with us to learn one new thing about North Carolina each week. Beginning June 19, we will share a different weekly theme with seven fun North Carolina-inspired learning activities, from bird-watching to archaeology.
Join on on social media using the hashtag #DiscoverSummerNC to share how you're discovering summer in our state.
Weekly Challenges
Did you know North Carolina is the most ecologically unique state in the southeast because its borders contain sub-tropical, temperate, and boreal habitats? From the Appalachians to the Atlantic, North Carolina is home to a wealth of plants, animals, and unique natural areas, some of which can be found nowhere else on Earth. This week we are learning about North Carolina’s natural world!
Welcome to Week 2 of Discover Summer! This week we are celebrating all the ways you can engage with art in our state! North Carolina has a rich history of artists and our wonderful institutions provide ample inspiration. Here are 7 ways to engage with art in our state, and to create your own!
The roots of American music run deep in North Carolina. Musicians from North Carolina have made brilliant, groundbreaking contributions to many of America’s most important musical genres. This week we are learning about North Carolina's rich music history and heritage.
North Carolina is lucky to have a very rich heritage of literature. So many North Carolina writers have followed their trail that it has become common to read about "North Carolina's Literary Renaissance." This week we are learning about North Carolina writers and literature from across North Carolina. Get ready to add to your summer reading list!
Whether you’re hiking up mountains or walking on a greenway, there are plenty of ways to enjoy North Carolina’s great outdoors. Get ready to step outside!
This week we are going back in time, we are exploring the shelves of the North Carolina Archives and learning about North Carolina's history.
Grits are made from the corn that North Carolina farmers grow in their fields. Okra and tomatoes are abundant almost everywhere, from the coast to the Piedmont to the Mountains. However, many of the foods we eat every day started out somewhere else. Although we think of these foods as key parts of traditional Carolina cooking, there is much more to know about our surprisingly complex cuisine. This week we are taking a deep dive into North Carolina food traditions and history.
From mountain rivers to coastal reefs, you're not far from a body of water in North Carolina. This week we are learning about aquatic wildlife and the people and places connected to North Carolina's aquatic history.
This week we are learning about North Carolina's archaeological resources and Indigenous populations.