Mill Creek Middle School eighth-grade science teacher Ann-Margaret Somers is one of only 26 teachers in STEM fields from across the country selected as 2019-20 Teacher Fellows by the Northrop Grumman Foundation and National Science Teaching Association (NSTA).

Were so proud of Ann-Margaret and excited for her to have this opportunity, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower said. We know she will represent CCSD well and bring back knowledge to share with her colleagues, as we work to advance STEM education in all of our schools.

The honorees were selected based on their experience and strong desire to advance STEM education and apply real-world applications in the classroom.

This is truly a remarkable group of educators, dedicated to expanding their knowledge base and improving their teaching skills in order to reach all students, NSTA Executive Director Dr. David Evans said. We congratulate this years cohort of Teacher Fellows and look forward to supporting them in their efforts to transform STEM education.

As part of the honor, Teacher Fellows will participate in a variety of STEM-related activities and professional learning opportunities including the NSTA National Conference on Science Education in Boston this spring and the Northrop Grumman Foundation Teachers Academy five-day summer workshop in Los Angeles.

Each Fellow will attend an immersive, 60-70 hour externship at a Northrop Grumman facility, where he/she will observe and experience STEM workforce skills. Based on that externship, Fellows will develop classroom lessons and instructional resources that integrate real-world applications.

These professional educators will embark on a yearlong journey with us and NSTA, culminating in a hands-on externship engaging with our engineers and technologists to help build the bridge between their classrooms and our communities, said Stephanie Fitzsimmons, K-12 STEM education programs manager for Northrop Grumman.

Somers will be recognized by Dr. Hightower and the Cherokee County School Board at the Boards February 13 meeting.