The Presidential Award recognizes my life's work as an educator dedicated to student achievement through continual professional learning and growth. Teaching youth and adults is a passion I have relished for 22 years. This Award affirms my pursuit of excellence in bringing science instruction to the classroom in a manner that engages student's hearts and minds, building a foundation upon which science is understood as a continual quest to address questions and challenges our physical world presents.

Jane Sandstrom Fairbanks, AK | 7-12, Science, 2009

The official biography below was current at the time of the award.

Jane Sandstrom, an educator for 22 years, has taught science for 12 years at West Valley High School. Prior to that, she taught middle and high school science in Nebraska and Arizona. In 2003, Jane developed a forensic science program and 2 years later, at the request of students, created an advanced forensics course. She initiated a school-business partnership with Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, bringing real-world applications of science content to her students. This has grown to include personnel from law enforcement, the university, and other organizations. Jane has taught the science methods course for pre-service teachers at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, in addition to presenting numerous workshops at local and national conventions. In Nebraska, she was part of a team that created and taught at the Zoo School, a focus high school housed at the Lincoln Zoo. Jane has a B.S. in Biology, with a minor in Music, from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She was a student teacher in Brighton, England, while earning an M.Ed in Secondary Education from Arizona State University. She completed a 2-year forensic science program in Nebraska and is Nationally Board Certified in Adolescent Science. She is highly qualified in biology, chemistry, and general science.

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