Science Friday’s Ira Flatow, NMSI’s Rene McCormick, and Former NASA Astronaut Sandy Magnus among Judges for Sally Ride-Deloitte Award for Teaching Innovation in STEM

Today, Sally Ride Science announced the list of judges that will evaluate submissions and select the winners for the Sally Ride-Deloitte Award for Teaching Innovation in STEM, a program open to all K-12 educators in the U.S. that recognizes innovations in instruction related to science, technology, engineering or math (STEM), as well as STEM careers.

Judges also Include Educators; Will Select Top Finishers in National Award Program that Recognizes Innovations in STEM Education; First Prize of More than $ 5,000.

The Sally Ride-Deloitte Award for Teaching Innovation in STEM’s first-place prize will include a $ 5,000 cash award to an educational institution chosen by the winning educator. Two second-place prizes of $ 2,500 each and five third-place prizes of $ 1,000 each will also be awarded to institutions designated by the winners. The first- and second-place finishers will also be awarded Sally Ride Site Licenses for a school of their choosing, which will deliver eBooks to all students, professional development to all educators, and teacher activity guides that help educators support Common Core, NGSS, and other educational standards while teaching STEM topics.

All entries must be submitted through the Sally Ride STEM Central website, at www.stemcentral.com. The submission deadline is October 31, 2014. Winners will be announced and prizes awarded in February 2015. For complete official contest rules, visit:

https://sallyridescience.com/content/innovation-award-official-rules

The judges are:

Ira Flatow, an NPR science correspondent and award-winning TV journalist and host of the Science Friday radio show, a weekly radio call-in program on NPR that engages listeners and scientists in lively conversations about science.

René McCormick, Executive Director of Science Programs at the National Math and Science Initiative where she established its academic standards, developed curriculum for Advanced Placement courses in each area of science, and developed teacher training for teachers of Advanced Placement courses.

Dr. Sandra Magnus, a former NASA astronaut and Executive Director at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), who flew in space on the STS- 112 space shuttle mission in 2002, and on the final space shuttle flight, STS-135, in 2011.

Petula Whitfield, a science educator and Sally Ride Science Academy Faculty member with a degree in Engineering (emphasis on Chemical Engineering), and a recipient of the Wayne A. Reaud Award for Teaching Excellence (2010).

Sheryl Sotelo, an educator with more than 30 years of experience and a recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Teaching, as well as the National Science Teacher’s Association Shell Oil Science Teacher Award.

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About Sally Ride Science

Sally Ride Science was co-founded in 2001 by Dr. Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, to help educators in grades 4-8 spark and sustain student interest in STEM topics and careers. It uses professional development and engaging classroom tools to build connections between students’ academic work and the exciting STEM fields that offer so many opportunities in the 21st Century economy. Its goal is to increase the numbers of students who stick with their interest in STEM topics and careers throughout their school years, so that they can retain the option for study and meaningful work in STEM fields. For more information, visit www.sallyridescience.com.