Woodstock Teacher Wins National Science Teaching Award

WOODSTOCK, GA — A Cherokee Schools teacher has won a top national fellowship for STEM educators.

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.

“We’re so proud of Ann-Margaret and excited for her to have this opportunity,” Superintendent of Schools Brian Hightower said. “We know she will represent Cherokee Schools 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,” National Science Teaching Association Executive Director David Evans said. “We congratulate this year’s cohort of Teacher Fellows and look forward to supporting them in their efforts to transform STEM education.”

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

They each will attend an immersive, 60-70-hour externship at a Northrop Grumman facility, where they will observe and experience STEM workforce skills. Based on that externship, they will develop classroom lessons and instructional resources that integrate real-world applications.

“These professional educators will embark on a year-long journey with us and National Science Teaching Association 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 Hightower and the Cherokee County School Board at the Board’s Feb. 13 meeting.