The National Science Teachers Association Announces 2010 Teachers Awards Program Recipients

/PRNewswire/ -- The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), the largest professional organization in the world promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning, has announced the recipients of its 2010 Teacher Awards Program, which honors K-12 teachers, professors, principals, and others for their outstanding achievement and innovative programs in science education. The awardees will be honored at a special banquet and ceremony on Friday, March 19, at NSTA's 58th National Conference on Science Education in Philadelphia.

NSTA will present its most prestigious award, the Robert H. Carleton Award, to former NSTA President Dr. Arthur Eisenkraft, distinguished professor of science education at the University of Massachusetts in Boston, Mass. and past recipient of NSTA's Distinguished Service to Science Education Award. The Robert H. Carleton Award recognizes one individual who has made outstanding contributions to, and provided leadership in, science education at the national level and to NSTA in particular.

A dedicated and passionate member of the science education community, Eisenkraft has contributed extensively to the association. He has been intimately involved in the development of several key corporate partnerships for NSTA. Eisenkraft also co-created the Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision Awards competition, one of the most recognized science competitions in the country. In addition to his tenure as president, Eisenkraft, an NSTA member since 1980, has served on a number of important education committees, including The College Board's Science Academic Advisory Committee and the Committee on the Future of High School Science Laboratories for the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and the National Research Council (NRC).

NSTA is also honoring the following recipients:

NSTA Presidential Citation
-- Emma Walton, science education consultant, Anchorage, AL


NSTA Distinguished Informal Science Education Award, partially sponsored by ServiceMaster

-- Kim Sneden, curator of education, Detroit Zoological Society, Royal
Oak, MI


NSTA Distinguished Service to Science Education Award, partially sponsored by ServiceMaster

-- Herb Brunkhorst, professor of science education and Biology,
California State University, San Bernardino, CA
-- Dwight Sieggreen, science teacher, Northville Public Schools,
Northville, MI

NSTA Distinguished Teaching Award, partially sponsored by ServiceMaster
-- Donna Rini, science teacher, Brookside High School, Sheffield, OH

Faraday Science Communicator Award
-- Joseph Hwang, Anaheim Ducks, Rosemead, CA

NSTA Fellow Award
-- Sandra Abell, curators' professor, University of Missouri, Columbia,
MO

NSTA Legacy Award
-- Alice Moses, former NSF Director of Instructional Materials
Development Program, Washington, D.C.

Maitland P. Simmons Memorial Award for New Teachers
-- Robert Chase, Twin Rivers Middle School, Buford, GA
-- Natalie Dagley, Wyatt Elementary, Plano, TX
-- Isabelle Debarros, E.F. Leddy Elementary School, Taunton, MA
-- Briana Faxon, Bremerton High School, Bremerton, WA
-- Caysie Heil, Malden High School, Malden, MO
-- Kathey Hoover, Wylie High School, Wylie, TX
-- Kathryn Humora, Notre Dame School, New York, NY
-- Karen Kraus, Delta Woods Middle School, Lees Summit, MO
-- Kimberly Kult, North Polk Jr-Sr High School, Alleman, IA
-- Lindsay Lowther, Arlington High School-Biosmart, St. Paul, MN
-- Theresa Madrid, Socorro High School, El Paso, TX
-- Laura Marks, Upper St. Claire, Upper St. Clair High School, PA
-- Abbie Martin, Jamestown High School, Williamsburg, VA
-- David Martinez, McRoberts Elementary, Katy, TX
-- Emily Mathews, Joseph Stockton Elementary, Chicago, IL
-- Megan McCulloch, South Vienna Middle School, South Vienna, OH
-- Elizabeth McMillan, Flandreau Middle School, Flandreau, SD
-- Scott Moore, Ankeny Sr. High School, Ankeny, IA
-- Julie Parker, Voy Spears Jr. Elementary, Lees Summit, MO
-- Torri Rinker, Passaic High School, Passaic, NJ
-- Jennifer Russell, Hope Community Charter School, Washington, D.C.
-- Joleen Teates, Newport High School, Newport, PA
-- Kyle Thompson, Lincoln East High School, Lincoln, NE
-- Shannon Thompson, Lanier Senior High School, Montgomery, AL
-- Andrea Van Waardhuizen, South Anchorage High School, Anchorage, AL


BioRad Biotechnology Explorer Award
-- Jennifer Hand, science teacher, Cairo High School, Cairo, GA

DCAT "Making a Difference" Award
-- Susan Hrenko, intervention specialist, WKHS Greenhouse, Worthington
Kilbourne High School, Columbus, OH
-- Dennis Foreman, science teacher, Zane Trace Middle School,
Chillicothe, OH


Delta Education/ FREY-NEO/ CPO Science Education Award for Excellence in Inquiry-Based Science Teaching

-- Elementary Level: Deborah Wickerham, science teacher, Chamberlin Hill
Intermediate School, Findlay, OH
-- Middle Level: Allison Bogart, science teacher, Woodrow Wallace Middle
School, Lake Isabella, CA
-- High School Level: Heather McArdle, science teacher, Mahopac High
School, Mahopac, NY


The DuPont Challenge© Science Essay Competition (Sponsoring Teacher - Award)

-- Dr. Omar Acio, chemistry teacher, Thomas Jefferson High School,
Alexandria, VA
-- Joan Roberts, science teacher, Rice Middle School, Plano, TX

SeaWorld/Busch Gardens Outstanding Environmental Educator Award
-- Cindy Suchanek, Mira Loma High School, Sacramento, CA

Shell Science Teaching Award
-- Awardee: Tamica Stubbs, biology and research teacher, EE Waddell High
School, Charlotte, NC
-- Finalist: Chanda Davis, science teacher, Hampton Cove Middle School,
Hampton Cove, AL
-- Finalist: Wendy DeMers, science teacher, Hynes Charter School, New
Orleans, LA

Sylvia Shugrue Award for Elementary School Teachers
-- Cathy Kindem, science specialist, Cedar Park STEM Elementary, Apple
Valley, MN

Vernier Software & Technology Awards
-- Elementary Level: Judy Heitkamp, science teacher, Prairie Elementary
School, Worthington, MN
-- Middle Level: Nicole Ackerson, science instructor, Berkeley
Preparatory School, Tampa, FL
-- Middle Level: Cynthia Ollendyke, science teacher, Peters Township
Middle School, McMurray, PA
-- High School Level: Steve Ahn, science teacher, Abingdon High School,
Abingdon, VA
-- High School Level: Stephen Biscotte, science teacher, Cave Spring High
School, Roanoke, VA
-- High School Level: Deborah Carder, science teacher, Fruitvale High
School, Fruitvale, TX
-- College Level: Brian Geislinger, physics professor, Gadsden State
Community College, Gadsden, AL


Wendell G. Mohling Outstanding Aerospace Educator Award, sponsored by Sally Ride Science and the Challenger Center for Space Science Education

-- William Richards, executive director, Community Resource Volunteers,
St. Johns, MI

Zula International-NSTA Early Science Educator Award
-- NSTA/CESI: Christina Ryan, kindergarten teacher, Cambridgeport School,
Cambridge, MA
-- NAEYC/NHSA: Jonathan Gillentine, pre-kindergarten teacher, Reverend
Benjamin Parker School, Kaneohe, HI


"Through their hard work and dedication, these outstanding educators are making a difference," said Pat Shane, president, NSTA. "They make science come alive for their students and help them realize the importance of science in their daily lives."

NSTA encourages science educators to apply for its 2011 teacher awards. Applications and information can be found online at http://www.nsta.org/about/awards.aspx.

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Million Dollar Scholar Offers Advice for College-Bound Financial Aid Seekers at Scholarships.com

(BUSINESS WIRE)--Derrius Quarles may have had the grades of a typical scholarship winner, but his story is anything but ordinary. The 19-year-old spent his childhood in the foster care system before becoming the “Million Dollar Scholar,” a nod to the $1.1 million in scholarships he has won to fund his college education and career aspirations.

Today, Derrius is a freshman at Morehouse College in Atlanta, a college that offered him a full scholarship on top of the awards he won by tackling the scholarship application process. In a series of blog posts on Scholarships.com, a resource he credits for much of his success in the hunt for available awards, Derrius will explain how he was chosen to receive more than $1 million in scholarships, a rare feat among scholarship applicants. His posts will include tips on the scholarship search process, with advice on funding a college education no matter your background.

“Derrius is a remarkable young man and a wonderful example for visitors of Scholarships.com,” said Kevin Ladd, Vice President for Scholarships.com. “He has some great advice for those currently searching for scholarships and we feel our readers will really benefit from learning about his approach and hopefully win some scholarships of their own.”

His second post in the series, featured on the website today, gives advice on building a strong scholarship application, an important step in impressing those evaluating applicants’ academic records and achievements. Derrius himself had a difficult start in high school, earning failing marks his first year before being pushed to work harder by a teacher. He ended up graduating from Chicago’s Kenwood Academy with a 4.2 GPA, with the drive to apply for – and win – some of the most competitive and generous scholarship awards out there, including $10,000 from the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation and $20,000 from the Dell Scholars Program.

Today, Derrius can boast winning more than $1.1 million in scholarships, including full scholarships not only at Morehouse, but at four other universities. Derrius is pursuing a degree in psychology and biology, with a minor in public health. He hopes to one day complete a doctorate, work on improving the public health policies and educational opportunities for low-income youth in his hometown of Chicago and nationwide, and become the U.S. Surgeon General.

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'Creative' Ways To Pay For College

(StatePoint) There's good news for parents who want to help their children get a college education but don't know how to pay for it.

We all know that scholarships are available for talented athletes and students with straight A's. But what if your daughter would rather pick up a paintbrush than a basketball? Or your son is a brilliant writer but doesn't get the best grades?

Each year, cash awards and nearly $4 million in tuition scholarships are made available to creative teens nationwide, through The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, now in its 87th year.

Young artists and writers can earn money for college by using their talents in a variety of disciplines, including poetry, video game design, short stories, sculpture and more.

The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, the nonprofit that administers the awards, is now accepting entries from students in grades 7-12. To find out more, visit www.artandwriting.org.

"In our 87th year, we expect to see the trend continue of more submissions and even more superior work, thanks in part to the extraordinary teachers guiding these talented youth," said Virginia McEnerney, Executive Director at the Alliance.

If you or someone you know has ever received a Scholastic Art & Writing Award, share your success story with the Alliance at www.artandwriting.org.

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Arts Across Georgia

Honeywell and National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Announce Fourth Annual Search for America's 'Safest Teachers'

/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Honeywell (NYSE: HON) and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) today announced the launch of the fourth annual Got 2B Safe! Awards program, designed to encourage teachers at elementary schools nationwide to help their students learn valuable and potentially life-saving lessons. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 797,500 children younger than 18 were reported missing during a one year period, an average of 2,185 children reported missing each day.

Got 2B Safe! provides teachers child safety teaching tools and rewards teachers who develop the most creative lesson plans are with big prizes. Five teachers win a classroom makeover worth $10,000 and 100 teachers win $500 worth of school supplies. Makeovers include an overall redesign of the classroom with themes chosen by the teachers, and materials including Got 2B Safe! artwork. The Got 2B Safe! Awards program will be open until March 23, 2009. Educators can log on to www.got2bsafe.com for more information about the contest and to submit a brief essay emphasizing the Got 2B Safe! Four Rules of Safety.

"It is crucial to arm our children with positive, empowering skills to help them recognize and avoid potentially dangerous situations," said Tom Buckmaster, president, Honeywell Hometown Solutions. "Participation in the Got 2B Safe! Awards program gives teachers an opportunity to educate their students, parents and community to be smarter about personal safety."

Since 2003, Honeywell and NCMEC have worked together on Got 2B Safe!. The program fills a critical gap -- no other nationwide abduction prevention program exists for schools. Got 2B Safe! focuses on educating eight- to ten-year-olds and their families on how to help prevent child abduction and sexual exploitation. It arms teachers, parents and guardians with tools to keep children safer. To date, Got 2B Safe! has been distributed to 240,000 principals and teachers, and more than 72,000 schools in the United States- reaching an estimated five million students.

"Teaching children about personal safety should be a priority," said Ernie Allen, president and CEO of NCMEC. "We are excited to be working with Honeywell on the Got 2B Safe! Awards program, to educate teachers, children and the community-at-large about how to prevent child abduction and sexual exploitation."

Got 2B Safe! teaches simple rules to help prevent child abduction and sexual exploitation through the Got 2B Safe! Four Rules of Safety:

-- Check First -- Children should always check with parents and guardians
before accepting gifts, rides, or invitations from anyone, including
friends, acquaintances and people they don't know.
-- Go With a Friend -- Simple and straightforward -- never go anywhere
alone. Being with another person in public is safer and more fun.
-- It's My Body - Teach your children they have the right to say NO to
any unwelcome, uncomfortable, or confusing touch or actions by others.
-- Tell a Trusted Adult -- Teach your children to TELL a trusted adult --
parent, guardian, teacher, etc. -- if anyone or anything makes them
feel scared, uncomfortable or confused.


"Having taught in a variety of different environments and witnessing all types of abuse and neglect, I've always tried to incorporate a unit on safety in my classroom," said Jessica Beamon, a 2008 Grand Prize winner. "The simple Got 2B Safe! rules clearly resonate with my students and help educate them to make safe choices."

Makeovers include an overall redesign of the classroom with themes chosen by the teachers, and safety materials including Got 2B Safe! artwork. Additional information is available at www.got2bsafe.com.

The Got 2B Safe! program has won eight awards within the corporate social responsibility industry. It is a signature program of Honeywell Hometown Solutions, the company's corporate citizenship initiative, which focuses on four areas: Family Safety & Security; Housing & Shelter; Science & Math Education; and Humanitarian Relief. Together with leading public and non-profit institutions, Honeywell has developed powerful programs to address these needs in the communities it serves. Honeywell also partners with NASA on FMA Live!, a hip hop science education program; and Rebuilding Together on home revitalization projects for low-income homeowners.

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