Two early-career science teachers were named Muriel Green Awardees at the CESI luncheon held during the NSTA conference in Chicago in 2015. Awardees included fifth grade teacher Dustin Strate and preservice science teacher Sarah Dickenson.
Dustin Strate, a first year teacher at Indian River Academy in Vero Beach, Florida, was dubbed "an enthusiastic STEM teacher" by his nominator. He was noted for finding science time (in lieu of district mandated coursework) by creating motivational science stations and end-of-the-day activities to make time for science. He has built hydroponic tanks, launched rockets, and pursued students’ interests in oil-spill clean-up and the protection of Florida wildlife along the Gulf of Mexico. As a new leader in science education, Dustin has begun an after-school STEM Club, assumed leadership of his fifth-grade teaching team, organized a Family Science and Engineering night, coordinated after-school mathematics tutoring, and presented at CESI at the Share-a-Thon in Orlando. As Melissa Sleeper, CESI Board Member and fellow Vero Beach teaching colleague, wrote in Dustin Strate’s nomination letter, "He is a reflective teacher that is never satisfied with providing less than the best for his students. He has actively sought help from more experienced teachers throughout the school district to improve his delivery of science lessons to his students. When he felt he was not able to teach as much science as he would like during the school day, he sought and received community support and funding for his after school science club. He loves his students and is proactive about giving them as many opportunities as possible to learn about science and to develop a lifelong love of learning."
As Sarah Dickenson's nominator observed, she goes "above and beyond the normal program requirements" to better her science teaching practice. Sarah's academic achievements recently resulted in her acceptance into the Calhoun Honors College. Her honors thesis topic reflects her pursuit to improve her science teaching practice and support students in learning and loving science and focuses on purposeful integration of iPads with inquiry-based science. Sarah has collaborated on multiple Creative Inquiry Projects focused on inquiry-based environmental science lessons that integrate mobile learning, creating science and mathematics lessons aligned with new children’s literature texts, reviewing children’s books for the Journal of Children’s Literature, and supporting first grade students’ letter writing and literacy interests -- and presented one of her lesson plans at the Council for Elementary Science International’s Elementary Extravaganza, 2015. Sarah was a counselor for elementary students at the Palmetto Athletic Center Day Camp (2012-2014) and selected as a Supplemental Instruction (SI) Leader for the course “Introduction to Mathematical Analysis” based upon her superior academic achievement in the course and her outstanding interpersonal skills. Her success as an SI Leader led to her becoming a SI Leader Mentor and the 2012-2013 SI Leader of the Year award for the Business Math courses.
The Muriel Green Award recognizes outstanding new elementary science teachers/pre- service teachers. It assists them in becoming more active in the science education community. Awardees will receive a two-year membership in CESI, complimentary tickets to the CESI Annual luncheon at the NSTA National Convention, and recognition in national publications.