A graduate of the Teacher Preparation Program at Michigan State University is a Wisconsin finalist for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. Sarah Trimner, BA ’01, is one of four Wisconsin teachers to be nominated as a finalist for the prestigious award.
The awards are administered by the National Science Foundation (NSF) on behalf of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Each year, up to 108 teachers from across the nation are awarded with $10,000, a paid trip for two to Washington, D.C. for professional development events, and a citation signed by the president. One teacher of mathematics and one of science from each state and four U.S. jurisdictions are selected.
Trimner, a third-grade mathematics teacher at Mountain Bay Elementary School in the D.C. Everest Area School District, is one of three finalists in the math category. The fourth finalist spot for Wisconsin is for a science teacher.
The award, one of the nation’s highest honors for mathematics and science teachers, is judged and selected at the national level by a committee organized by NSF, although nominations can come from all over, including principals, fellow teachers, parents, students or even members of the general public. On alternating years, finalists are either K-6 or 7-12 teachers; finalists for 2014 are K-6 teachers. Nominees for the 2015 awards will be from grades 7-12; nominations are now open through April 1, 2015.
To learn more about the award, click here.