Big changes are coming! Since our Professional Learning and Collaboration Environment (PLACE) launched in 2015, it has been accessed by tens of thousands of educators across North Carolina and the globe and hosted hundreds of courses, workshops, research projects, and communities of practice. Our platform has served us well, however in order to keep up with technology developments and take our online professional learning vision to the next level, the time has come to start fresh with a new platform.

Please take note of the following details as they may affect you:

• Access to all existing accounts, course materials, and previously earned certificates of completion and badges will end June 30, 2025.
• The ability to earn certificates of completion in active courses and participate in their forums and surveys will end June 16, 2025.
• NEW registration for all active courses will close on May 15, 2025.

Once the old platform is shut down, we will be unable to assist with requests for previously issued certificates and badges, so please be sure you have downloaded anything you need prior to June 30, 2025. Don't wait until the last minute!

If you are one of our western North Carolina folks and you are unable to retrieve your previously earned certificates or badges yourself because of displacement or equipment loss due to Hurricane Helene, please contact us as soon as possible (and no later than June 23, 2025) using the PLACE Support request form so that we may assist you.

Please help us spread the word about the need to download past certificates and badges before the platform goes dark on June 30, 2025.

More information about how, where, and when to access our courses in the future will be forthcoming in the next several months. You can also sign up for our online professional learning mailing list to be notified when the new site launches or learn about course offerings.

FAQ

Why is this change happening?
The existing PLACE was extensively customized to meet the needs of our researchers at the time; however, the code and methods used in those customizations, which include our existing certificates and user accounts, have aged out and make the site difficult and expensive to maintain. In order to provide an up-to-date, secure, stable, and affordable environment for our courses and resources, we are moving to NC State's official Moodle platform.

Will I be able to access my previous courses, account, course history, and previously earned certificates and badges on the new site?
No. Our existing courses/resources, certificates, and user accounts include custom elements that can't carry over. Please download all previously earned certificates and badges before the site is decommissioned on June 30, 2025. We will be unable to accommodate requests for these materials after June 30. Please help us spread the word!

How do I get to my old courses?
Up until June 30, 2025, you will be able to find all your past PLACE courses (from Summer 2015 to the present) by logging in to your PLACE account and opening the "My Courses and Resources" dropdown menu in the red navigation bar across the top of the site. Your courses are also in your account Profile and Dashboard, both of which are in the dropdown menu under your name in the red navigation bar.

How do I retrieve the badges and certificates I've earned in the PLACE?
When you are logged in to your PLACE account, your badges are available in your account Profile, which is in the dropdown menu under your name in the red navigation bar across the top of the site. Once on your Profile page, scroll down to the Badges section, click on a badge, and then use the white "Download" button to save the file to your computer. View a step-by-step visual guide.

To retrieve an earned certificate, go to the course in which you earned it, scroll down to the "Download Your Certificate" link, click the link and then the white "Get your certificate" button. Depending on your browser settings, this will either open the certificate in a new browser window or download it to your computer. Course completion certificates are typically one of the last pages in a course. Micro-credential certificates for micro-credentials submitted and earned in the PLACE are typically listed after the micro-credential page. (Submissions to Digital Promise are not in the PLACE.) View a step-by-step visual guide.

Will you be offering courses in the future?
Yes! We will share future course information on the Friday Institute website and our online professional learning mailing list. Stay tuned!

Will you still have free courses for educators?
Yes! We plan to re-offer our free professional development modules on SEL, AI, and learning differences again soon. When ready, information about when, where, and how to access courses will be added to the Friday Institute website and shared with our online professional learning mailing list.

If you're interested in developing your expertise in teaching statistics and data science in grades 6-12, check out the free professional learning modules Invigorating Statistics Teacher Education Through Professional Learning (inSTEP), developed by the same people who created our Amplifying Statistics and Data Science in Classrooms, Teaching Statistics Through Data Investigations, and Teaching Statistics Through Inferential Reasoning courses.

Will I still be able to earn certificates of completion on the new site?
Yes! We will still have courses in which participants can earn certificates of completion for professional development hours that can be submitted to their local agency with a request for CEUs. As always, granting of CEUs is subject to the policies and procedures of each participant's state and local agency.

Will I have to create a new account?
Yes. No account information from this site will transfer to the new one. Closer to launch we will provide more information and instructions for creating a new account and registering for any open courses of interest.

Will the ESTEEM statistics teaching resources still be available anywhere?
Yes! The ESTEEM project has a new home at https://research.ced.ncsu.edu/esteemhub/. Look for the "2021 ESTEEM Modules" link on their Resources page.

Will the Preparing to Teach Mathematics with Technology (PTMT) materials still be available anywhere?
Yes! The PTMT project has a new home at https://research.ced.ncsu.edu/ptmt/.