I believe all students need a space to study the natural world. Sowing the seeds of curiosity and collaborating with peers propels students' understanding forward. By encountering difficult problems, compassion grows, and they persevere to become critical thinkers. For me, the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching represents dedication to the endeavor of curiosity to create compassionate, critical thinkers who will change the world in powerful, yet unknown, ways.

Jennifer Hendrix Dodge City, KS | 7-12, Science, 2023

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

Jennifer Hendrix began her teaching career at Memphis Catholic High School 24 years ago with the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) while working on her master's degree. Afterward, Jennifer was one of several educators to initiate the Chile-ACE in Santiago, Chile teaching English at Saint George’s College. Returning to the United States, she taught at Cimarron Junior/High School and developed a curriculum for physical science, earth science, chemistry, and physics classes. Currently, Jennifer teaches Physics 1 and 2 to junior and seniors at Dodge City High School, where she has taught for nine years. Always willing to try something new, she also taught Biology this year. Jennifer creates a collaborative culture in her classes. Students actively engage in experiments to model the natural world, discuss and debate results in peer review sessions, and collaboratively solve problems. Circulating among her students, Jennifer nudges debates and encourages more experimentation. Rarely giving answers, she provokes deep thinking and curiosity through questions. Jennifer credits much of her style to classes on modeling instruction sponsored by the American Modeling Teachers Association and USD 443-Dodge City’s dedication to the literacy of all children through biography-driven instruction. She is a Kansas Master Teacher, has been named a "teacher of influence" by students, and works with the Kansas Department of Education. As Science Department Chair, she encourages teachers to create classrooms where students practice science. Jennifer has a B.S. in biochemistry from Saint Edward’s University and an M.Ed. from the University of Notre Dame. She holds certifications for secondary science education in physics, chemistry, earth space, and English for Speakers of Other Languages.

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