Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce celebrates excellence in education

The Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce, the business community and supporters of public education gathered to celebrate innovative and remarkable educational programs in Carlsbad and Encinitas schools at the 22^nd annual Outstanding Educational Program Awards Dinner. More than 300 people attended the awards ceremony, held Friday, May 6 at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa. Winners were announced in four categories: The Arts, Civic Responsibility, Entrepreneurial, and STEM programs. This year’s winners are: The Arts Program Junior Webcasters Poinsettia Elementary School (CUSD) Lead Teachers: Erica Gross and Jessica Fuller This innovative program integrates social media, computer literacy, and life skills – all into one exciting, synergistic package. Students utilize the latest technology to produce a multi-segment, live news broadcast. This amazing program prepares students to be productive members of the community. The Entrepreneurial Program Makerspace, Innovation & Design Olivenhain Pioneer Elementary (EUSD) Lead teacher: Jeanne Benowitz In this program sixth graders bring their incredible ideas to life with a “Makerspace Playbook.” They use good writing, research, math, and even art skills to create a product that can be sold for profit at the “Makersfaire.” Students are encouraged to use their critical thinking skills to repurpose materials with electric drills, circuit sets, saws, sewing machines, and even an oven to create their ideas. Civic Responsibility Program SRRF (Safe, Responsible, Respectful, and Flexible) Paul Ecke Central School (EUSD) Lead Teacher: Silvia Pezzoli and Sue Liesegang Positive discipline is at the core of this outstanding program. Teachers hold classroom circles engaging students in critical thinking and problem solving as a classroom community. School-wide positive affirmations are broadcast to classrooms by students. The popular Parent Education Series addresses topics such as parenting with kindness and firmness and building a sense of belonging and significance. STEM Program Garden of the Future Capri Elementary School (EUSD) Lead Teacher: Thomas Bosworth, Ilea Williams, Brian Charles This initiative combines the high-tech use of coding machines with the low-tech application of physically working with soil and dirt. K-6 students have the opportunity to participate in the science lab rotation weekly where they are exposed to square-foot gardening as a means of applying their math skills while understanding how to efficiently plant food to maximize the garden space. During the evening, winners and finalists were awarded funds to put toward their programs. The teacher of the year from each Carlsbad school and the overall teacher of the year from the Carlsbad Unified and Encinitas Union school districts also received special recognition. The program sponsors were NRG Energy, Inc., Omni La Costa Resort & Spa, and Tri-City Medical Center. Award Sponsors were LEGOLAND California Resort, New Urban West Inc., and ViaSat Inc. Click here to see photos of the event.