The Ohio Academy of Science (OAS) selected the winners of the award for their accomplishments during the 2023-24 school year.
Each school will receive a special Governor’s Award certificate and each teacher will receive a complementary membership to The Ohio Academy of Science.
The teachers from GISA that received the award include: Alex Henz, Alyssa Allen, Alyssa Clark, Amy Jo Henry, Andrea Dettwiller, Andrea Keener, Andy Bonar, Avery Colvin, Bekah Miller, Ben West, Brandon Williams, Brett West, Caleb Lingenfelter, Chad Fyffe, Cody Wright, Collin Gierke, Erika Graver, Ethan Hatch, Georgianne Downing, Heather Swensen, Holly Dilts, Holly Hogan, Jese Shell, Jon Henry, Jordan Lindsey, Josh Londergan, Katy Wright, Leah Ruby, Nikki Turner, Olivia Pflaumer, Rachel Sanders, Sam Klug, Scott Spohler, Steve Sexton and Trisha Seckel.
Anton Kilburn, middle school director who was a part of the nomination process, said so many educators were selected for this recognition because GISA implements the science fair competition as teacher-based teams across all grade levels, and often assigns each teacher a specialized role in the project. For example, science classrooms oversee experiments, language arts classes conduct background research, and math classes handle data and analysis.
“Students actively engage in scientific practices, encouraging investigation, research, and modeling at home, in the science lab, and/or in industrial contexts. We also strive to develop solutions for real-world problems faced by local, state, national, and international communities and industries,” he said. “We believe that our STEM curriculum and science fair projects prepare our students for problem-based learning, reflecting the real-world challenges encountered in scientific and industrial settings.”
The teachers from Ridgewood that received the award include: Dan Metzger, Megan Newell, Paul Sauter, Rachel McLaughlin and Tami Milam.
Aliya Ranginwala, Head of School, said this recognition has “graced their halls multiple times” and “holds a deep meaning” for the school and teachers.
“Our faculty collaborates tirelessly to support our students as they delve into independent research projects, applying the scientific method. This process becomes a crucial part of our students’ mastery during the middle school years, as they prepare to graduate from the 8th grade,” she said.
Ranginwala said the teachers guide guide students through the research process to help them find and cite sources for their final reports and presentations, help them pick their research topics and understanding components of the scientific method and support them in their classes before they create their poster presentations and present them for feedback before presenting to judges at the science fair.
“Ridgewood teachers strive for excellence in their teaching and we, the administration, parents, and students who make-up the Ridgewood community honor and respect what our teachers do for our students. They truly deserve this recognition,” she said.
The criteria for the Thomas Edison Award for Excellence, established in 1985, are to conduct a local science fair with 12 or more students and have two or more of these students participate in the District Science Day or have six or more students participate in the District Science Day when no local has been conducted; and students must participate in at least one more youth science opportunity beyond the classroom.
“We are proud to honor these schools and teachers for preparing students for the future through application-based learning,” said OAS executive director Michael E. Woytek. “The students are learning and gaining confidence by solving complex problems through inquiry and technological design.”
The OAS initiated this partnership program in cooperation with The Office of Technology Investments, The Ohio Department of Development, who funded the program, to recognize schools and teachers for excellence in STEM education and scientific student research.
For more information about the OAS, visit http://www.ohiosci.org.
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