The 2016 Allen Distinguished Educators Awards Bestowed on Seven Teachers/Teams

AUSTIN, Texas, March 9, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- In the quest to ignite innovation in education, the Allen Distinguished Educators (ADE) program has announced its 2016 cohort of teachers who will receive a $25,000 award for pioneering work in education. The ADE award generated 81 initial applications representing 31 states. From 16 finalists, seven winning projects were chosen.

"A national search for innovation in education revealed a significant appetite for strategies that give students more ownership over their learning," said Dave Ferrero, Senior Program Officer for Education at Vulcan Inc., a Paul G. Allen company. "We believe that recognizing and supporting innovative teachers and their programs will create hands-on, real-world opportunities for students that are replicable models of success."

The ADE program was established in 2014 with an inaugural class of seven ADEs who continue to support the program as ambassadors, sharing their experience to inspire experiential learning in classrooms across the country. Founded by Seattle-based philanthropist Paul G. Allen, the program focuses on the integration of computer science, engineering and entrepreneurship into engaging, student-led learning. This type of curriculum can help students build skills, habits and dispositions that can transform their lives and lead them to success in the 21^st century.

At a ceremony at SXSWedu, awards were given to the following teaching teams:

• Chris Bartlo and Nicholas Nohner, grades 9-12
  Computer Science Program from Wilson High School, Portland, Ore.
• Courtney Bryant, Reginald O'Neill and Beth White, grades k-11
  Engineering & Entrepreneurship Program, Charles R. Drew Charter School, Atlanta, Ga.
• Patrick Dempsey and Rob Rambach, 8^th grade
  Engineering & Computer Science Program, Hixson Middle School, St. Louis, Mo.
• Dawn DuPriest and Tracey Winey, grades 6-8
  Engineering & Computer Science, Preston Middle School, Fort Collins, Colo.
• Ashley Greenway, 1^st grade
  Computer Science, Engineering & Entrepreneurship Program, Elm Street Elementary, Rome, Ga.
• Alyson Nelson, grades 11-12
  Engineering Program, Nikola Tesla STEM High School, Redmond, Wash.
• Jodie Woodruff, grades 9 -12
  Entrepreneurship Program, The Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center, Providence, R.I.

To see more about each winner's project and the resources available through the ADE program, visit the ADE website.

About Vulcan Inc.
Vulcan Inc. creates and advances a variety of world-class endeavors and high-impact initiatives that change and improve the way people live, learn, do business and experience the world. Founded in 1986 by investor and philanthropist Paul G. Allen, Vulcan oversees various business and charitable projects including real estate holdings, investments in dozens of companies, including the Seattle Seahawks NFL, Seattle Sounders FC Major League Soccer, and Portland Trail Blazers NBA franchises, First & Goal Inc., the Seattle Cinerama theatre, Experience Music Project, the Science Fiction Museum & Hall of Fame, the Allen Institute for Brain Science, the Allen Institute for Cell Science and The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. For more information, visit www.vulcan.com.

For more information, contact Janet Greenlee, director of philanthropic communications; [email protected]; 206-342-2352

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160309/342174

SOURCE Vulcan Inc.

Related Links

http://www.vulcan.com