FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PBS NORTH CAROLINA TO LAUNCH SEASON 6 OF ‘NCIMPACT’ ON FEBRUARY 7

A partnership with the UNC School of Government, this PBS NC original series examines innovative solutions to our state’s most pressing challenges.

Watch the trailer. >

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC, 1/14/2025 — PBS North Carolina and the UNC School of Government announce season six of the original weekly series ncIMPACT. Hosted by UNC Professor Anita Brown-Graham, ncIMPACT explores how local innovation can light the way forward for the entire state in areas like health care, housing, education, public safety and economic development. 

Season 6 of ncIMPACT will debut Friday, February 7, 7:30 PM, on PBS NC. Episodes will also be available for streaming online and on the free PBS app. Support for ncIMPACT is provided by UNC Health. 

“Local leaders have exciting stories to tell about the homegrown collaborations and innovations that are helping them address complex issues,” says ncIMPACT host Anita Brown-Graham. “We are focusing more on these local experts this season, and I am proud to share some of their stories with you. I hope they spark new ideas for your community.” 

Season six of ncIMPACT includes eight half-hour episodes spotlighting 22 North Carolina communities. Individual field stories will also be available on YouTube. 

“At a moment when there’s a critical void in local in-depth reporting, ncIMPACT explores the challenges that affect every family—from finding affordable housing to caring for aging parents to rebuilding after natural disasters,” says David Hurst, senior producer/correspondent at PBS North Carolina. “What’s remarkable is how these communities, though separated by geography, are finding creative solutions by reaching across traditional boundaries and learning from each other. These stories demonstrate that when communities come together, they can create blueprints for change that can benefit every North Carolinian.” 

Broadcast Schedule 

ncIMPACT airs Fridays at 7:30 PM on PBS NC. Visit pbsnc.org/schedule for the latest scheduling information. 

Episode 1: Energy and the Environment 
Premieres Friday, February 7, 7:30 PM 
In a state battered by storms, communities in NC are pioneering methods to protect life in the face of intensifying weather. Counties like Cumberland, Brunswick and Cabarrus are building new frameworks for survival with disaster-response training, residential “microgrids” and electric school buses. Learn how their groundbreaking solutions could reshape disaster preparedness nationwide. 

Episode 2: Health Care 
Premieres Friday, February 14, 7:30 PM 
Health care deserts are expanding across rural parts of the U.S., but communities in NC have taken bold steps to bridge critical gaps. By developing grassroots solutions, they’re creating sustainable models for health care access. These include a dental outreach clinic in Hyde County, integrated care tailored for NC’s Cherokee communities and nursing apprenticeships in Surry and Yadkin counties. 

Episode 3: Public Safety 
Premieres Friday, February 21, 7:30 PM 
NC communities like Jackson, Richmond and Alamance counties have created groundbreaking methods that could transform public safety nationwide. Learn how social workers in Sylva are revolutionizing crisis response, how Richmond Community College created the most cutting-edge 911 dispatcher training hub in the state and how a farm program in Graham offers hope for women leaving incarceration. 

Episode 4: Aging 
Premieres Friday, February 28, 7:30 PM 
As states wrestle with surging senior populations, a new generation reimagines elder care. Learn about the Caregiver Academy, which supports those caring for people with dementia and Alzheimer’s across the Cape Fear region; the Aging Gracefully Program, which helps older adults safely age in place; and the Creative Aging Network NC Campus, which combats social isolation with arts and education. 

Episode 5: Economic Development 
Premieres Friday, March 7, 7:30 PM 
NC is a rapidly growing state, but as major cities flourish, small towns face dwindling populations and struggling main streets. Find out how these communities are writing their own comeback stories through homegrown initiatives like shellfish aquaculture in Carteret County, adult learning options at Wilkes Community College and city support for small businesses in Marion. 

Episode 6: Housing 
Premieres Friday, March 14, 7:30 PM 
With housing costs soaring across the state, young families can’t buy first homes, renters face unstable markets and more residents find themselves unhoused. But communities are fighting back with ambitious solutions. Learn how Durham expanded affordable housing, Asheboro transformed an empty church into a homeless shelter and Charlotte reduced veteran homelessness by 25%. 

Episode 7: Youth and Education 
Premieres Friday, March 21, 7:30 PM 
Communities in NC are reimagining how to support struggling parents and ensure child well-being through innovative partnerships, building stronger safety nets for all. Learn how western NC is reversing a shortage of early childhood educators, how Mecklenburg County is tackling school absences and how Gaston County is converting clergy housing into foster homes. 

Episode 8: Infrastructure 
Premieres Friday, March 28, 7:30 PM 
As cities confront aging infrastructure and growing inequities, local governments turn to tech for solutions and reimagine how cities work. Explore how these innovative approaches—on-demand transit in Wilson, digital equity in Forsyth County and AI traffic cameras in Raleigh—could transform urban life and create more equitable communities. 

Catch up on previous seasons of ncIMPACT by visiting video.pbsnc.org/show/ncimpact. 

About the Host 

Anita Brown-Graham is the founder and director of the ncIMPACT Initiative and the Gladys Hall Coates Distinguished Professor of Public Law and Government at the UNC School of Government. This initiative seeks to expand the school’s capacity to work with public officials on complex policy issues, including economic mobility, the expansion of prekindergarten and extending the labor pool. In 2020, she was named the Gladys Hall Coates Distinguished Professor of Public Law and Government at the school. 

Brown-Graham previously taught at the school from 1994 to 2006, specializing in governmental liability and economic development aimed at revitalizing communities. She served as director of the Institute for Emerging Issues (IEI) at North Carolina State University from 2007 to 2016, where she led efforts to build North Carolina’s capacity for economic development and prosperity, working with business, government and higher education leaders from across the state. 

Brown-Graham began her career as a law clerk in the Eastern District of California. She is a William C. Friday Fellow and an American Marshall Fellow, and was named Distinguished Global Fellow by the Eisenhower Fellowships in 2021. The White House named her a 2013 Champion of Change for her work at IEI, and the Triangle Business Journal awarded her the inaugural 2021 Andrea Harris Trailblazer Award and named her a 2017 CEO of the year. Brown-Graham serves on the boards of several organizations, including Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina. She earned an undergraduate degree from Louisiana State University and a law degree from UNC-Chapel Hill. Learn more at sog.unc.edu/about/faculty-and-staff/anita-r-brown-graham. 

About the UNC School of Government 

The mission of the UNC School of Government is to improve the lives of North Carolinians by engaging in practical scholarship that helps public officials and citizens understand and improve state and local government. As the largest university-based local government training, advisory and research organization in the United States, the School of Government serves more than 12,000 public officials each year. Established in 1931 as the Institute of Government, the School of Government provides educational, advisory and research services for state and local governments. The School of Government is also home to specialized centers focused on information technology and environmental finance. Learn more at sog.unc.edu. 

About UNC Health 

UNC Health is a not-for-profit integrated health care system owned by the state of North Carolina and based in Chapel Hill. Originally established Nov. 1, 1998, by N.C.G.S. 116-37, UNC Health currently comprises UNC Hospitals and its provider network, the clinical programs of the UNC School of Medicine and fourteen hospitals and eighteen hospital campuses statewide. Learn more at unchealthcare.org. 

About PBS North Carolina 

As North Carolina’s statewide PBS network serving the country’s third largest public media market, PBS North Carolina educates, informs, entertains and inspires its audience on air, online and in person. Through its unique partnership of public investment and private support, the network includes in-person engagement, digital-first social and online content delivery and four over-the-air channels: PBS NC, the North Carolina Channel, Rootle 24/7 PBS Kids and the Explorer Channel. Its transformational events and content spark curiosity and wonder for all North Carolinians. Additionally, PBS North Carolina serves as the backbone for North Carolina’s state emergency services. Learn more at pbsnc.org, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. 

-PBS NC-

Media Contact 
Allyson Meade, Marketing & Communications 
PBS North Carolina 
press@pbsnc.org