James O'Malley Morton Grove, IL | K-6, Science, 2014

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

James O'Malley has been an educator at Thomas A. Edison Elementary School for 22 years. He has been a science specialist, general education teacher, and is presently teaching fourth grade. James currently serves on the District's STEM Leadership Team.  James' classroom is student-centered, action-packed, and movement-oriented! James taps into students' personal interests, makes every student feel valued, and uses students' innate curiosity as a foundation for learning experiences. In the summers, James has taught science at Chicago Botanic Garden for 15 years. He received countless grants and created local partnerships with Skokie Valley Kiwanis and an aerospace engineering company. He has been a Field Ambassador, facilitated an after-school NASA Club, and completed a teacher program at the Kennedy Space Center. James is Education Leader for a non-profit serving orphans in Kenya. Additionally, James is a volunteer board member for the Childcare Network of Evanston, whose mission is "to invest in the potential of all children and families through early childhood learning."  James received his B.S. in elementary education and M.A. in learning disabilities from Northeastern Illinois University. James recently completed his doctoral dissertation in educational leadership at National-Louis University. James is a National Board Certified Middle Childhood Generalist. 

• High-resolution version of the official portrait photograph
• Awardee holding Presidential certificate between Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director, Dr. John P. Holdren, and Assistant Director, Directorate for Education and Human Resources, National Science Foundation, Dr. Joan Ferrini-Mundy.
• High-resolution version of the teacher profile photograph

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