STEM education superstars: Meet 3 inspiring teachers honored at the GeekWire Awards

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The GeekWire Awards’ STEM Educator of the 12 months honorees, from still left to correct: Devina Khan, educational designer at the West Valley Innovation Middle Stephanie Winslow, instructor at South Kitsap Significant College and Johanna Brown, instructor at Pullman Large University. (Photos courtesy of Khan, Winslow and Brown)

In a earth without having marvelous STEM lecturers there would be less tech entrepreneurs and reducing-edge innovators that are honored each and every yr at the GeekWire Awards.

The good thing is for all of us, in faculty districts huge and tiny throughout Washington state, hardworking educators are inspiring a long run CEO of the Yr or grooming the Subsequent Tech Titan. And we’ve picked three exemplary teachers to honor with our STEM Educator of the Calendar year classification at this year’s GeekWire Awards.

These instructors aren’t just standouts in the classroom. They are also primary various extracurricular initiatives, exploring new approaches and mentoring fellow teachers. They are spearheading suites of initiatives that would be extraordinary for a corporate government to tackle — but hold in thoughts that they’re carrying out this operate in schools crammed with passionate, amazing, hormonal, fatigued, energetic young children. Heaps and loads of small children.

The sponsor for this award, now in its 2nd calendar year, is once once again DreamBox Studying. Keep examining to understand far more about the three honorees for STEM Educator of the 12 months.

Stephanie Winslow, trainer at South Kitsap High School

Stephanie Winslow, trainer at South Kitsap Substantial College. (South Kitsap Higher Photo)

As a teacher of AP environmental science, astronomy and earth science lessons, and as an advisor for STEM Club and the Backlink Crew management system, Stephanie Winslow has personally touched the life of numerous students.

Her classroom inspires them, from her “Women in Science” poster, to point of view-bending M.C. Escher optical illusions, to a whole-measurement astronaut accommodate. “The facial area plate is dim,” Winslow claimed. “It could be everyone — anyone can be an astronaut!”

Her classes engage them, like in the course of COVID-19 when she partnered with Puget Audio Naval Shipyard to ship kits household to make LED-based electronics.

But Winslow’s access is even wider. She is also dedicated to creating a long lasting, strong STEM schooling application throughout educational institutions. She serves as the district science curriculum coordinator for secondary schools. Winslow has led attempts to protected various grants to bolster the academic means available in her South Kitsap district, positioned a ferry ride from Seattle.

“Through educating our employees, advocating for adjust, and keeping relevance of STEM information, she is definitely shaping the STEM chances district broad,” stated Sara Hatfield, the supervisor who nominated Winslow for the award.

Some of her other accomplishments involve:

  • a person of the to start with STEM-qualified profession and specialized educators in Washington
  • the guide for the district’s Nationwide Math Science Instruction grant partnership
  • and securing a STEM Capital Jobs Grant that furnished funding for updating lecture rooms.

Johanna Brown, instructor at Pullman Higher Faculty

Johanna Brown, instructor at Pullman Significant School. (Pullman Significant Photo)

Even though Johanna Brown has brought founded, large-reaching plans including AP chemistry and AP computer science to her Jap Washington superior university, she’s also torn up the common playbook for instruction.

Brown has embraced a “gradeless” classroom where rather of accumulating points, students reveal their mastery of subjects as a result of inquiry, challenge-primarily based discovering, and detailing the science. She holds conferences with pupils to converse about their schooling and expansion as people today.

Brown is training green, sustainable chemistry. She highlights accomplishments of researchers from underneath-represented teams.

“Her aim is to produce areas that rejoice the humanity of students, and assist them convey their entire selves to their studying,” explained Melissa Mayer, the colleague who nominated Brown for the award.

And Brown would make science exciting and suitable. Although young ones had been remote through COVID, she created home lab kits that bundled baking bread and dissolving Pixy Stix to generate endothermic reactions. She provides in visitor instructors, together with a “poop scientist” who reports the breakdown of dairy cow squander, a Frito Lay foods scientist who explained how chips get their shapes, and community undergraduate researchers applying liquid nitrogen to clean moon dust off of spacesuits.

Some of Brown’s other accomplishments contain:

  • her school this 12 months been given a Feminine Variety in Computer system Science Award from the AP System for the variety of woman college students enrolled in Brown’s course and the number who handed the AP test
  • 2021 finalist for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching
  • coached her Science Bowl team to this spring’s national contest becoming held in May well
  • and she received the American Chemical Society’s award for excellence in large faculty educating for the Northwest location.

Devina Khan, computer science and information technology educational designer at the West Valley Innovation Centre

Devina Khan, instructional designer at the West Valley Innovation Heart. (West Valley Innovation Centre Image)

For Devina Khan’s learners, their geographic spot, age and gender are no limitations to results in computer system science.

Khan is an educator in West Valley, a rural town in Central Washington’s agriculturally rich Yakima County.

She has promoted tech schooling for center school pupils, guiding them to earning Microsoft certifications in seventh quality. Three of her students from the West Valley Innovation Middle received the Congressional Application Challenge this calendar year, acquiring a pandemic-motivated app identified as Beating Heart Health and fitness. It involves a snooze calculator, calming music and a compliment generator.

Khan has partnered with the nonprofit IGNITE (Inspiring Ladies Now In Technological innovation Evolution) Around the globe. The Seattle-primarily based group assisted her join college students with STEM industry experts at Google, Pixar, Facebook, Amazon, T-Mobile, Tesla and Microsoft.

Khan has teamed up with some of her pupils to build and co-educate tech training classes to the broader West Valley inhabitants.

Their tech method “promotes equity and inclusion by providing technological know-how programs to underrepresented communities that absence techniques required to thrive in today’s workforce,” explained Caitlin Duke, the colleague who nominated Khan for the GeekWire award.

Some of Khan’s other accomplishments contain:

  • working as an adjunct instructor and affiliate faculty member at Central Washington College
  • former teacher at West Valley Junior Superior Faculty in Yakima County,
  • volunteering to support senior citizens with tech troubleshooting and education, as well as presenting tech instruction for the local community
  • and serving as a youth team advisor and mentor for 10-18 calendar year olds in Yakima.

The GeekWire Awards understand the top innovators and organizations in Pacific Northwest technologies. Our STEM educator honorees and other award finalists were being picked centered on group nominations, along with input from GeekWire Awards judges.

There is no voting in this category all three honorees are winners. Group voting throughout other categories will keep on right until April 22, combined with feed-back from judges to identify the winner in each and every category. You can vote for your picks throughout all classes in the GeekWire Awards ballot.

Develop your possess person suggestions study

A huge many thanks to Astound Small business Answers, the presenting sponsor of the 2022 GeekWire Awards.

Also, thanks to gold-stage and classification sponsors: Wilson Sonsini, ALLtech, JLL, DreamBox Learning, Blink UX, BECU, Baird, Fuel Talent, RSM, Aon, Meridian Cash, and WTIA. And thanks to silver degree sponsors: J.P. Morgan Chase, Materials+, and Tomo.

If fascinated in sponsoring a class or paying for a desk sponsorship for the event, make contact with us at [email protected].


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