Building the Foundation For STEM: Honoring Brevard’s Exemplary Science Teachers

BREVARD COUNTY • COCOA, FLORIDA – The 17th Annual Exemplary Science Teacher Awards were held Monday evening at the Eastern Florida State College Planetarium & Observatory to honor the Brevard Public School’s best science teachers.

The Space Coast Science Education Alliance organized the awards recognizing six Exemplary Science Teachers for 2015, a 2015 Hall of Fame Awardee and the 2014 Hall of Fame Inductee.

The Space Coast Science Education Alliance is an affiliation of organizations devoted to education, science and the environment.

For 20 years, the Space Coast Science Education Alliance has promoted STEM literacy through joint member activities and special projects such as the Exemplary Science Teacher Awards program, Research Rules! and the Middle School Science Bowl.

“It is a great pleasure to be here this evening to honor our Exemplary Science Teachers,” said Dr. Desmond Blackburn, Superintendent of Brevard Public Schools.

Resource Specialist Ed Short, who was the emcee for the evening, handled the affair with humor, poise and great enthusiasm for the educators who were bring honored.

“This is a great honor to be here as it is so important to recognize our exemplary teachers,” said Short.

Short was himself recognized by several of the honorees during their acceptance speeches for providing important support and advise.

The 2015 Exemplary Science Teachers Honored Were:

• Megan Cooper – Ronald McNair Magnet Middle School
• Cynthia Hornby – Cocoa High School
• Lindsey Johannessen – Westside Elementary School
• Michelle Marshall – Southwest Middle School
• Laura K. Martin – Imagine At West Melbourne (moved to Odyssey Charter)
• Jorilet Paets – West Melbourne School of Science

The 2014 Hall of Fame Inductee:
• Maggie Molledo – West Shore Junior/Senior High School

The 2015 Hall of Fame Inductee:
• Chimene Rice – Surfside Elementary

Each of the award recipients spoke passionately about their recognition and how much it meant to them.

Cyndi Van Meter, Brevard School District’s associate superintendent of curriculum and instruction, recognized the school system’s resource teachers Kim Bragg, Ginger Davis and Ed Short.

Ginger Davis was surprised with a special Lifetime Achievement Award for her exemplary service and educational leadership.

“We are very grateful to our generous sponsors who make this wonderful evening possible,” said Short.

Gold level sponsors of the event were the American Society of Mechanical Engineers – Canaveral Section, the Canaveral Council of Technical Societies, Doctors’ Goodwill Foundation, Eastern Florida State College, Florida Tech, Lockheed Martin Space Systems and United Launch Alliance.

Silver level sponsors included Discovery Education, Dixie Crossroads Seafood Restaurant, National Geographic Learning, Publix Supermarkets, Satcom Direct, Society of American Military Engineers – Space Coast Post, University of Central Florida – Cocoa and Palm Bay Campuses and Waste Management.

Other sponsors included Coastal Health Systems of Brevard, Craig Technologies and Rolling Readers.

The Hall of Fame Award was sponsored by Harris Corporation.

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