Livermore STEM Teacher Wins Prestigious Tomodachi Toshiba Award

Announcement, photo submitted by Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District:

The Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District (LVJUSD) Board of Trustees recognized Teacher on Special Assignment Regina Brinker, for her outstanding leadership and contribution to the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) program. This past summer, Brinker was one of four teachers nationwide selected to attend the STEM Exchange Program hosted by the Tomodachi Toshiba Science and Technology Leadership Academy in Tokyo. She was part of a team with Japanese counterparts of students and teachers who together designed a disaster-resilient smart community model.

“Regina knows what it takes to support teachers in creating STEM learning experiences that engage and inspire students,” said Cindy Alba, Assistant LVJUSD Superintendent. “Regina’s close collaboration with the science industry has led to a strong integration of real-world project-based learning and academic concepts.”

As a teacher on special assignment, Brinker is responsible to support the district-wide integration of career-based learning programs and STEM curriculum implementation. Ms. Brinker taught science classes at both Christensen Middle School and Granada High School. At Christensen Middle School, Ms. Brinker was one of the original Project Lead the Way middle school engineering teachers in the District.

“The best part of the Tomodachi Toshiba award was the opportunity to bring to the District new STEM instructional strategies that continue our dedication to Next Generation Science Standards,” said Brinker. “Collaborating with teams from other cultures and perspectives is an eye-opening experience that I plan to replicate at the classroom level.”