Biography

Julie Neidhardt has been an educator for 22 years in the Mobile County Public School System. In 2014, when she won the Presidential Award, she was teaching third grade at Dawes Intermediate School. She continued to serve her community teaching second grade at Hutchens Elementary School until 2021. At Hutchens, Julie began an innovative science lab, known as the N.E.S.T., Nurturing Engineering, Science and Technology, where students and teachers engaged in hands-on science instruction and training. In 2021, she transitioned from the classroom to serve her district as a Science Curriculum Specialist. Since being awarded in 2014, Julie has continued working to achieve her goals. In 2017, she was named one of ten STEM Ambassadors for the National Science Teaching Association, an honor only given to previous PAEMST awardees. She was the Grand Prize Winner for the Elementary Shell Regional Lab Challenge in 2019. She has traveled to the United Arab Emirates to teach STEM to teachers. In 2021, she was a finalist for state Teacher of the Year for the state of Alabama. Julie is currently serving as the Alumni Representative for PAEMST for Alabama and is the Elementary Director for the Alabama Science Teachers Association. Mrs. Neidhardt also co-hosts a podcast, NextInEd, where she and her co-host discuss a wide range of topics in education. Julie has a B.S. in geology from the University of South Alabama, an M.A.T. in teaching from Spring Hill College, and has earned her Leadership Certificate from the University of West Alabama. She is a National Board Certified Middle Childhood Generalist.