Elementary school science teacher Bridget Zahradnik of Novi, Michigan, has garnered a prestigious 2022 PAEMST Award. Photo Credit: PAEMST
It is always my pleasure to share stories about exceptional educators who have earned recognition for their work in the classroom. One of these is Bridget Zahradnik, an elementary school science teacher from Michigan who has garnered a 2022 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST).
Bridget has been a professional educator for 24 years. Currently she teaches fifth grade math and science at Novi Meadows Elementary in Novi, Michigan. Previously, she taught first and third grades for 19 years at Parkview Elementary School. Prior to that, she taught Spanish for a year at Village Oaks and Orchard Hills Elementary Schools in Detroit, and first grade at both J.S. Slocum Elementary School in Pineville, Louisiana, and McKinley Elementary School in Corona, California.
The honored educator has worked diligently to improve science instruction in her school district, declares Steve Mathews, Superintendent of Novi Community Schools. “Bridget Zahradnik has been instrumental in updating our science curriculum and a strong advocate for engaging science instruction,” he says. “She has helped move our district science curriculum forward and improved science instruction, especially at the elementary level,” he continues. Matthews notes that Bridget was instrumental in transforming the traditional science fair to an “invention convention.” This event requires students to develop creative solutions to a problem each on has selected. In some cases, the students’ solutions have resulted in patents, including one for a healthy lollipop and another for a LEGO sorter. In addition, Bridget launched a fundraising drive to pay for outdoor learning spaces in Novi. Because of her efforts, her district received a $400,000 grant to fund the project.
In addition to her work in the classroom, Bridget serves as her District’s Science Content Area leader, designs and delivers professional development, and works as an educational consultant. She has also published numerous articles about science instruction, makerspaces, project-based learning, and subject matter integration.
Bridget earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education in 1996 and her Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction in 2002, both from Michigan State University.
The PAEMST program, founded in 1983, is administered by the National Science Foundation (NSF) on behalf of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The honor comes with a $10,000 cash prize.
