NCCJ (North Carolina for Community and Justice) works to build more respectful and inclusive communities free of bias, bigotry and racism. We are best known for Anytown, a youth leadership summer camp, and our annual Citation Award Dinner, which honors Triad leaders for extraordinary work to build a more inclusive community for all of us – not just some of us.

We work with people of all ages and organizations of all types. We also offer community programs that are free and open to everyone. NCCJ can help you approach difficult topics from a place of curiosity and practice communicating more effectively and respectfully.

A legacy of leadership

Know someone who should be recognized for their efforts to make our community a more inclusive and compassionate? Nominate them for NCCJ’s Citation Award! We accept nominations on a rolling basis. The Selection Committee meets each spring to review nominations and determine the year’s honorees.

Pictured: Robert and Leslie Ketner, Dr. Patrick Harman and Mae Douglas (2023 Citation Award honorees), Jennifer Martineau, Ivan Canada. Photo credit: Ivan Saul Cutler / Carolina Peacemaker

So much more than a summer camp

Anytown is NCCJ’s flagship youth leadership camp. Twice each summer, Anytown brings diverse groups of teens together for an unforgettable week of learning about themselves and each other; celebrating differences; building empathy; and finding common ground while also strengthening their own self-esteem and resilience. At Anytown, they practice building an inclusive and compassionate community – a framework to carry back to their schools, and forward wherever they go in life. Rising high school sophomores, juniors and seniors who live in or attend school in North Carolina’s Triad region should apply now for Anytown 2024 (sessions are June 16-21 and July 14-19.)

5 practices for better conversations

To build a future where every community is a place of promise with opportunity and justice for all, we must all learn to engage with each other with civility and respect. That’s why NCCJ’s board of directors (a diverse group of people from across our community) invites you to join us in an initiative called Open Minds, Respectful Voices. It’s a set of 5 Community Practices that represent a commitment to engaging in more respectful dialogue and actively listening to understand others’ perspectives.

Ready for a Reset?

NCCJ’s Reset encourages you to make time and space for learning, unlearning, and discovering more effective social justice habits. It’s a FREE self-paced, email-based program. So you can do it whenever, wherever!

After you sign up, we will send you daily emails (with some breaks in between) for 3 weeks. Each email has a different focus and includes some curated resources (podcasts, articles, videos) on about a topic chosen by NCCJ’s Youth Ambassadors. (Teen graduates of programs like Anytown and STARR.)

Triad DEI Collaborative

Diversity, equity, and inclusion work – DEI work – is challenging and can be lonely. The Triad DEI Collaborative creates a space for DEI professionals to learn, collaborate, learn, spark inspiration, and refresh their spirits, networking and building relationships with one another as they connect with industry leaders. Meetings challenge present-day work and innovate for the future, while sharing best practices for integrating practical solutions that foster a culture of belonging in our workplaces.

The Collaborative meets quarterly. Today, it has over 25 members representing a wide range of professions – from higher education to healthcare to non-profits. If you are a professional in the Triad area who is advancing inclusion and belonging in your workplace – no matter your title or role – we invite you to join the Collaborative:

Interfaith Calendars

It can be difficult enough to stay on top of your own calendar, let alone keep track of other people’s plans. That’s why NCCJ creates these Interfaith Calendars each year. We hope you’ll find these a useful resource when you’re planning events or scheduling meetings. Selecting an inclusive date helps ensure that your event is welcoming for everyone. It helps your friends, colleagues and neighbors feel more comfortable being their whole selves.

Note: We want these calendars to be as accurate and inclusive as possible. If you spot an error or oversight, please let us know!

Ready to make a difference?

NCCJ exists to serve you – and we exist because of you. In recent years, a record number of people have turned to us for help managing biases, advancing inclusion, and learning to have more respectful and effective conversations. Your investment and support is critical to sustain and grow NCCJ’s work and advance our mission.