The Presidential Award is a celebration of inspirational educators. It’s an honor to be a part of this prestigious group and represent my school, district, and state. I strive to help students feel valued and spark their curiosity by making science engaging and meaningful. This award further inspires me to learn from and support other educators, take risks, and always ask the question, “What is best for students?”

Katherine Coppens Falmouth, ME | K-6, Science, 2022

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

Katherine “Katie” Coppens teaches sixth grade science at Falmouth Middle School, where she has been teaching for 17 years. She began her career teaching in 2002 at Philip W. Sugg Middle School. She also taught high school biology and English in Tanzania in 2007. Building connections with students and empowering them to value their voices is the foundation of Katie's classroom environment. Essential components of her science instruction include inquiry-based, hands-on learning and systems thinking through the integration of concepts. She is one of the lead teachers of an interdisciplinary unit in which students take part in a community-based action project. Katie is the Science Content Team Leader at her school and an advisor for the Community Service Club and STEM Club. Since 2018, Katie has written a column on integrating science and literacy called "Interdisciplinary Ideas" for NSTA's "Science Scope" journal and has presented on this topic at local and national conferences. She also wrote a book for NSTA called "Creative Writing in Science: Activities that Inspire." Katie is the author of eight STEM-themed children’s books. Her most recent book about climate change won the 2022 Benjamin Franklin Award and the Nautilus Award for young adult nonfiction. She has a B.A., summa cum laude, in psychology with a minor in environmental conservation and an M.A.T. in environmental science from the University of New Hampshire. She is a certified kindergarten through eighth grade teacher and is highly qualified in science, social studies, mathematics, and English.

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