It is truly an honor to receive the Presidential Award for science. I became a teacher to inspire others the way my teachers inspired me. I am grateful each and every day for a chance to help my students grow, learn, and explore the world. Receiving this award is a reminder as to why I started this profession in the first place. I am humbled to be recognized alongside many other incredible educators in the Presidential Award community.

Ashley Hare Salt Lake City, UT | K-6, Science, 2022

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

Ashley Hare has been an educator at Edison Elementary School for the past five years, where she currently teaches fourth grade. At Edison, she has also taught kindergarten through fifth grade science. Ashley previously taught science at both Ivy Academy, an environmental charter school, for two years and at Pali Institute, an outdoor education program, for an additional two years. Over her tenure, Ashley has served as a leader in science education for her school and district. She has presented sessions on place-based and environmental instruction at several school and district professional development sessions. She is a member of district and state cohorts to establish and revise science practices, core guides, and formative assessments to align with newly-adopted science standards. Through her teaching, Ashley seeks to captivate students with excitement while challenging and equipping them to achieve success. Her teaching is marked by many investigations, where students take an active role in science practices. She is striving to create equal opportunities for her Title I students by helping them attend science fair competitions and local field studies to open their experiences beyond their neighborhoods. Additionally, Ashley has served as a cheerleading and rock-climbing coach at Ivy Academy. She created an elective course in partnership with the Tennessee State Parks, titled Student Junior Ranger. The course emphasizes scholarship, environmental stewardship, and volunteerism. She also earned Ivy Academy's Rookie Teacher of the Year. Ashley earned a B.S., summa cum laude, in middle grades education from Lee University. She is currently certified in elementary and middle grades education, with an emphasis in mathematics and science.

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