The Presidential Award is an honor and privilege to receive. To be recognized by the President of the United States for my commitment and innovation toward preparing the next generation to be adaptive problem solvers is the ultimate affirmation. I am excited for the doors this award will open so that I can continue to bring meaningful STEM experiences to students. This award has inspired me to seek new and creative ways to guide students to reach their full potential.

Adam Haas Monroe, NC | K-6, Science, 2022

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

Adam Haas has been an educator for 17 years, all of which he has spent teaching at Rocky River Elementary School. He has taught all subjects to both fourth and fifth grade, as well as fifth grade science on a departmentalized team. Adam is currently the STEM teacher at Rocky River Elementary School, where he focuses on teaching kindergarten through fifth grade students how to become thinkers and problem solvers. Adam built an exemplary science program at Rocky River and consistently maintains that high standard of science-based learning experiences by collaborating with teachers throughout the building and district. Adam strives to provide students at Rocky River with extraordinary, hands-on experiences that promote adaptive problem solving, innovation, critical thinking, and clear communication. Adam’s love of teaching science transcends the classroom. He offers multiple science and STEM afterschool clubs for fourth and fifth graders throughout the year. He also organizes and runs a Science Fair and a student-led STEM Community Night where students from all grade levels demonstrate their love and knowledge of STEM to the school and the community. Adam has been awarded over 10 science and STEM grants that helped support the creation of a robust STEM program at Rocky River. He has also presented sessions on science education at local and state conferences. Adam is National Board Certified as a middle childhood generalist. He is certified to teach kindergarten through sixth grade general elementary education. He was the Rocky River Elementary Teacher of the Year in 2012. Adam earned a B.S., magna cum laude, in education from the State University of New York at Cortland and an M.A. in education from Wingate University.

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