President Obama to Honor Teachers and Mentors, Announce Key Partnerships in "Educate to Innovate" Campaign

WASHINGTON – On Wednesday January 6, at his second “Educate to Innovate” Campaign event for excellence in Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) education, President Obama will honor educators from across the country for awards received for excellence in mathematics and science teaching and mentoring.  The President will also announce key new partnerships in his campaign to help reach the Administration’s goal of moving American students from the middle to the top of the pack in science and math achievement over the next decade.  In November, President Obama announced a series of high-powered partnerships involving leading companies, foundations, non-profit organizations, and science and engineering societies dedicated to motivating and inspiring young people across America to excel in science and math.  For more information on the President’s Educate to Innovate Campaign, CLICK HERE.

The event will be webcast at obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/live and is open press.  Interested reporters who are in Washington and who do not have a White House hard pass should email media_affairs@who.eop.gov with their full name, date of birth, Social Security number, and country of citizenship by 4 p.m. Tuesday January 5.  Reporters will not receive a confirmation of clearance, but we will contact you if additional information is needed. 

Reporters should enter through the Northwest Gate (on Penn at Jackson Pl) and be prepared to show ID and go through security. The gather location will be the Palm Room doors.  (Pre-Set 12:30 p.m., Final Gather 1:00 p.m.). Note that reporters who arrive after the final gather time will not be able to attend the event. 

More than 80 teachers from across the country are expected to attend this event at the White House.  For bios and a list of the teachers who received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching and will be recognized, CLICK HERE.

More than 20 mentors are also expected to attend this event at the White House and received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring.  They are:

• Frank T. Bayliss Jr., San Francisco State University, CA
• Laura Lynne J. Bottomley, North Carolina State University, NC
• Goldie S. Byrd, North Carolina A&T State University, NC
• Suzzette F. Chopin, Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi, TX
• Lesia L. Crumpton-Young, University of Central Florida , FL
• Patricia A. DeLeon, University of Delaware, DE
• Nancy L. Elwess, SUNY College, Plattsburgh, NY
• Benjamin C. Flores, University of Texas, El Paso, TX
• Susan M. Kauzlarich, University of California, Davis, CA
• Philip Kutzko, University of Iowa, IA
• Cato T. Laurencin, University of Virginia, VA
• Jerzy R. Leszczynski, Jackson State University, MS
• Mary Anne Nelson, University of New Mexico, NM
• Steven B. Oppenheimer, California State University, Northridge, CA
• Stacy Phelps, Chief Executive Officer, The American Indian Institute for Innovation, SD
• Ashanti Johnson, University of South Florida and Institute for Broadening Participation, FL
• Kennedy J. Reed, Lawrence Livermore Natl. Lab. and the University of California, CA
• Kenneth S. Sajwan, Savannah State University, GA
• Richard N. Zare, Stanford University, CA
• Leadership Alliance, Providence, RI
• Maria Mitchell Association, Nantucket, MA
• Project Exploration, Chicago, IL

For more information on the awards these teachers and mentors received, CLICK HERE.