Two Pasadena Teachers Receive Elite National Award

PASADENA, MD — Two teachers from Pasadena are part of a group of 20 educators from across the country who will be honored during the Fifth Annual The Henry Ford's Innovation Nation Teacher Innovator Awards. The awards celebrate educators who inspire innovation, creativity, problem solving and critical thinking in their classroom.

Among the grand prize winners are Robin Suda and Josh Webster of Pasadena, Md. Judges looked at how teachers inspired their students to challenge the rules, take risks and how they were teaching the value of learning from staying curious and learning from failure. Candidates were asked to submit their curriculum and evidence of how it was working inside their own classroom.

“It’s imperative that all students are given the opportunity to unleash their innovative potential,” said Lucie Howell, chief learning officer for The Henry Ford. “These awardees are demonstrating what innovation learning looks like in their classrooms and showing us the impact that it has on their students."

Grand prize winners, which includes the two Pasadena teachers, recently enjoyed a week-long "Innovation Immersion Experience" at The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Mich. The experience included roundtrip airfare, accommodations, behind-the-scenes tours with curators and archivists, a teaching innovation workshop and a special recognition ceremony.

The award program is associated with The Henry Ford's Innovation Nation's award-winning half-hour program that tells the fascinating stories behind the historic innovators of the past and the forward-looking visionaries of today, showcasing the extraordinary talents and dedication required to bring their inventions life.