Biography

Nancy Smith has been teaching first grade in the Olathe Public School District for 18 years; for the 20 years prior, she was an instructional coach and a home daycare provider. She has also spent the last 30 years as adjunct faculty for Ottawa University in the education department. Nancy is an avid grant writer who enjoys promoting agricultural literacy, the STEM fields, and primary education. She enjoys organizing STEM clubs, developing schoolwide events and is currently involving her students in a Project Based Learning/STEM unit on the importance of Farm to Table concepts. Encouraging her first graders to be agriculturally literate is one of her goals, and a past class became champions of change as they presented to the state board of education. She is able to share her love of science and agriculture with teachers throughout the country through presentations and the sharing of resources. As Olathe's past Elementary Teacher of the Year, Nancy served on many curriculum committees at the district and state level. She loves to use her platforms to shine the light on the amazing activities that elementary teachers are providing in their classrooms, and her work with preservice teachers allows her to impact the future of public education. She is involved in many outside organizations that provide scholarship opportunities and assistance to students in need. Her focus on the STEM fields is evident through her Family Ag Nights, science clubs, and coding activities. Nancy earned a B.A. in elementary education and special education from the University of Nebraska at Kearney and an M.Ed. in elementary education with a focus on literacy from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She is a National Board Certified teacher in early literacy, and is LETRS trained.