Tag Archives: Inspiration

White House pause in PAEMST Awards still in effect, the National Science Foundation reports

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According to the US National Science Foundation (NSF), the suspension in the national Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) recognition program that was institutes on July 18, 2025, is still in effect. Prior to the suspension, the PAEMST awards were awarded to our nation’s most excellent educators of mathematics, science, and technology courses. Below is the full text of announcement posted on the official website for the PAEMST:

“On July 18, 2025, NSF announced that it will pause the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) and the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM) programs until further notice. NSF administers these programs on behalf of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). Here is the full text of the announcement:

Any nominations submitted during the previously scheduled Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 submission window will not be considered, and there will not be any nominations and applications accepted for FY 2026.

The pause allows NSF to conduct a comprehensive review of the programs. NSF remains committed to supporting the nation’s STEM teachers and mentors and looks forward to providing future updates.”

Since 1983, up to 110 outstanding educators from across the country have been recognized by the White House for their passion, dedication, and impact in the classroom each year. The awards have been administered by the US National Science Foundation (NSF) on behalf of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The honors recognize the importance that America’s teachers play in supporting learners who will become future STEM professionals, including computer technologists, climate scientists, mathematicians, innovators, space explorers, and engineers. The honor comes with a meeting with the President and a $10,000 cash prize.

America celebrates Juneteenth!

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For the African American community, June 19 marks the annual observance of an important holiday: Juneteenth. Many teachers are aware of the significance of this event, and, if school for them is still in session, they may be planning an observance of the occasion with their students.

Juneteenth marks the 1865 arrival of Federal troops under the command of US General Gordon Granger in Galveston, Texas. Their military mission was to take control of the state following the Civil War, and to ensure that all enslaved people living there had been freed. Until that day, 250,000 enslaved people in Texas were unaware that slavery had been declared officially ended. The troops’ arrival came a full two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.

The year following Granger’s arrival, freedmen in Texas organized the first of what became the annual celebration of “Jubilee Day” on June 19. In the decades since, Juneteenth commemorations featured music, barbecues, prayer services, and other holiday activities. As Black people migrated from Texas to other parts of the country, the tradition of celebrating Juneteenth spread.

Juneteenth is considered the longest-running African American holiday in US history. In 1979, Texas became the first state to declare Juneteenth an official holiday. Efforts to make the celebration a national holiday have, so far, stalled in Congress, but as of this year, 47 states recognize Juneteenth as a state holiday.