Tesla STEM teachers up for Allen Distinguished Educators Program award

Published 12:35 pm Tuesday, December 22, 2015

A teacher and teaching team from Nikola Tesla STEM High School in unincorporated King County near Redmond have been named finalists for the Allen Distinguished Educators (ADE) Program.

Alyson Nelson and the teaching team of Melissa Wrenchey, Mike Town and Kate Allender are among 16 finalists nationwide who are up for the program.

From engineering prosthetic limbs, to student-run businesses, to out-of-the-box computer science curricula and more, ADE award applicants showcased an array of diverse and innovative strategies for teaching engineering, computer science and entrepreneurship. Now expanding to a second cohort of distinguished educators, the $25,000 ADE Award recognizes and rewards innovative K-12 teachers who help students master these disciplines through hands-on, experiential and project-based learning. The program was developed by Paul G. Allen based on his belief that innovation is a key driver in improving learning opportunities for young people.

“It was inspiring to see so many exceptional teachers from across the country. It was very difficult to narrow the field to the 16 finalists — a true testament to the innovation that is already being applied by creative and dedicated teachers,” said Jerry Nguyen, Allen Awardee Program Officer.

Up to seven awardees will be announced at SXSWedu on March 8, 2016.