Computer science educator Shanti’ Coaston of Westlake, Ohio, has been named a state finalist for a prestigious 2023 PAEMST award. Photo credit: The Villager
It is always my pleasure to recognize outstanding teachers who have earned accolades for their work in the profession. Today I shine a spotlight on high school school teacher Shanti’ Coaston of Ohio. She has been named a state finalist for a prestigious 2023 PAEMST (Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching).
The PAEMST honors the dedication, hard work, and importance that America’s teachers play in supporting learners who will become future STEM professionals, including computer technologists, climate scientists, mathematicians, inventors, space explorers, and engineers. The PAEMST program, founded in 1983, is administered by the National Science Foundation (NSF) by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The honor comes with a visit to the White House and a $10,000 cash prize.
Shanti’ inaugurated her career as an educator when she accepted a position as an intervention specialist in an alternative education program at Shaw High School in East Cleveland. After seven years working with young people as a school-based therapist and a youth career coach, she went into the classroom and taught Special Education. Then she decided that she could do more for her students as a computer science teacher. “I saw it as a way for kids to have a better life, just embracing technology,” Shanti’ explained. This year, she accepted a position as a computer science teacher at Westlake High School in Westlake, Ohio.
This outstanding educator has introduced her students to careers in the computer science and technology fields. She ensures her students are exposed to college tours, career fairs, and computer science competitions. She believes that every student, especially girls and students with disabilities, deserve to learn computer science. Through this dedication, she was chosen as a member of the inaugural class of CS Equity Fellows for 2019-2020 by the Computer Science Teachers Association, and she serves on the advisory board for Computer Science Honor Society.
In addition to her work in the classroom, Shanti’ provides professional development presentations at the local, district, and state level on how to integrate technology into the curriculum. She also places special focus on the recruitment of girls and students of color into computer science courses.
Shanti’s selection for a PAEMST is not he only recognition she has earned. She also garnered a 2023 Computer Science Teaching Excellence Award. And she was a nominee for Ohio State Teacher of the Year.
Shanti’ earned her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in 1999, and a second Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Salisbury University in 1999. She has also earned a Master’s degree in Social Science Administration from Case Western Reserve University in 2000. She completed the requirements for her teacher certificate as a Mild/Moderate Intervention Specialist from Notre Dame College of Ohio in 2011.
