The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) are the highest honors bestowed by the United States government specifically for K-12 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics teaching. The Awards were established by Congress in 1983. The President may recognize up to 108 exemplary teachers each year.
Anyone—principals, teachers, parents, students, or members of the general public—may nominate exceptional individuals who teach science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in grades 7-12 for this award year. To submit a nomination, the following information is required:
Teacher's name
Email address
School contact information
Nominations may be submitted for more than one teacher. Teachers may also initiate the application process themselves. Nomination form: https://paemst.nsf.gov/nomination/nominate
Awards are given to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics teachers from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Department of Defense Education Activity schools, or the U.S. territories as a group (American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and U.S. Virgin Islands).
The award recognizes those teachers have both deep content knowledge of the subjects they teach and the ability to motivate and enable students to be successful in those areas. Since the program's inception, more than 5,200 teachers have been recognized for their contributions in the classroom and to their profession.
Awardees reflect the expertise and dedication of the Nation's teaching corps, and they demonstrate the positive impact of excellent teachers on student achievement. The National Science Foundation administers PAEMST on behalf of The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.