Trilby Hillenbrand Washington, DC | K-6, Science, 2022

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

Trilby Hillenbrand has been a STEM educator in DC Public Schools since 2008. After 11 years teaching middle school science and STEM courses, Trilby pivoted to the elementary grades, where she is currently teaching kindergarten through fifth grade STEM at Miner Elementary School. She previously taught at MacFarland Middle School, Langdon Education Campus, and Jefferson Middle School Academy. In the classroom, Trilby's goal is to make STEM interesting and accessible for all students. She focuses on using real-world phenomena and student-centered activities that keep her students engaged and wanting to know more. Trilby also leads weekly clubs where students learn about engineering with LEGOs and programming with BeeBots and Scratch. Outside the classroom, Trilby is a supporter of STEM education in her school building and beyond. She organizes and facilitates schoolwide activities such as the annual STEM Fair, Hour of Code, classroom visits from scientists and engineers, and field trips to Microsoft, the National Air and Space Museum, and the USA Science and Engineering Festival. At the district level, she is part of ongoing curriculum and professional development work to support teachers with adopting and implementing the Next Generation Science Standards. She has also provided direct support to other STEM teachers as a science department chair, cooperating teacher, and adjunct professor at the University of District of Columbia. Trilby earned a B.A., magna cum laude, in biology and psychology and a leadership citation from the University of Rochester. She earned an M.A.T. in secondary science from American University. She is certified in biology and elementary education.

• High-resolution version of the teacher profile photograph

Know a great teacher like Trilby Hillenbrand? Nominate them for PAEMST!