The North Country STEM Network, housed at Clarkson University, recently held the STEM Champion Awards dinner to recognize outstanding contributions to STEM education. A PK-12 Educator, Higher Education Professional, and Community Partner were presented with trophies designed and made by ADK P-TECH students. NY State Regent Beverly Ouderkirk and Jefferson County Legislature Chairman Scott Gray were present to congratulate the award recipients.
Team Summit, six innovative educators at Beekmantown Middle School, was recognized with the PK-12 Educator Award for developing an innovative, transdisciplinary program for 8th-grade students that transformed learning. Their nomination read, in part, “Through problem-based learning experiences students have seamlessly demonstrated a command of content standards in Math, Science, Technology, English, and Social Studies while developing critical workforce skills of collaboration, communication, and critical thinking. Project implementation is a collaborative effort by students, teachers, and essential community partners.” Team Summit has become recognized as leaders in education and has hosted numerous learning tours to share their approach with other schools. The Team, including students, presented at the NY Association of Training and Education Professionals in 2017and at the 2018 Workforce 2025 Convening.
The Higher Education Professional Award was presented to Genny Pond, an Engineering Instructor at Jefferson Community College. She was cited as “a dedicated and impactful teacher who engages her students in all aspects of STEM and encourages them to excel, ask questions and to discover the answers. Her passion for the future and her belief that her students have a huge role in shaping it leads her students to challenge themselves to be on the cutting edge of technology.” In addition to her inspirational teaching, Genny is the JCC Engineering Club advisor, coordinator of the Spaghetti Bridge Competition, and co-leader of the college’s C-STEP program.
Cheryl Mayforth, the Executive Director of the Jefferson-Lewis Workforce Development Board, was awarded the Community Partner Award. Cheryl was selected because she “strongly supports education, workforce development, and employment. She understands the connections and sees the symbiotic relationships between them. It is this vision that supports her commitment to establishing school-work related activities, including Workforce 2020, Manufacturing Day, and Career Jam, that provide students beneficial employment-related experiences and exposure, helping to spark interest, which in turn leads to identify learning/training goals that result in gainful employment for the youth involved.” Cheryl was also instrumental in developing the career-focused series My GPS for Success, a collaboration among WPBS, BOCES, and the IDA that highlight career opportunities in the North Country, using footage from local companies and employers.
The Awards dinner was sponsored by Siemens, King+King Architects, Atlantic Testing Laboratories, Canton-Potsdam Hospital Foundation, Swarovski Lighting, Clarkson University and several private donors.
The STEM Network serves the seven North Country counties and is one of ten regional hubs within New York State. The Network fosters collaboration and innovation among all community resources to empower diverse learners with 21st Century Skills for educational and career success. The mission of the Network is to be the catalyst that energizes and focuses community resources to design, develop, implement and demonstrate innovative, sustainable, and transferable STEM learning experiences for economic vitality and exceptional quality of life. The Network is nationally recognized as one of 50 STEM Ecosystems in the country that promotes strong business and education partnerships. More information can be found on its website: www.northcountrystem.org or by contacting Mary Margaret Small at mmsmall@clarkson.edu.
