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Nominations are open for 2024 -

Scroll down to read award descriptions and nomination links. 

 OSTA Awards Presidential Award

OSTA Awards

One of the most important functions of the Oregon Science Teachers Association is to recognize outstanding science educators across the state.  Each year the OSTA Executive Board selects several individuals for statewide and regional awards.  The Awardees are selected by committee from individuals nominated by members of OSTA.

These awards are only as important and meaningful as the science education community makes them. Look around you; look at the colleagues in your school, district, and region. Which ones are the hardest working, the most passionate, and the most skilled at exciting students about science and the process of scientific discovery? Which ones contribute most to the profession of science teaching? These are the individuals deserving of a nomination. 

If you have questions or want to verify your nomination has been received, please contact the President-elect at: president-elect@oregonscience.org

Scroll down to nominate a teacher to be recognized at the next conference.

The OSTA Outstanding Classroom Teacher Awards

These awards are meant to recognize and honor the work of outstanding classroom teachers from OSTA's 13 Regions around Oregon.  We award up to four of these awards in each region in the categories of Early Career (1-3 years of classroom experience), Elementary, Middle, and High School.  Awardees will be selected based on their ability to motivate student achievement and excitement in science, community and administrative support, ability to support and mentor new and preservice teachers, and overall contributions to the profession.

Click here to nominate

The Sunrise Scholarship

For teachers who have completed less than five years of full-time teaching, this scholarship is used to pay registration to attend two consecutive Oregon-hosted OSTA Conferences. Other expenses of attending the conferences are not covered. Recipients agree to volunteer to help out in some way at the second of these conferences, and are encouraged to participate in OSTA activities to learn more about the organization. Each scholarship winner will receive a free two-year membership in OSTA.

Click here to nominate

The Special Service to Science Education Award

This award honors those individuals who, as classroom teachers, have made significant contributions to science teaching in their own classrooms and beyond. The awardee will be selected based on career longevity and body of work, statewide and regional influence, enthusiasm for science, and the ability to motivate students and colleagues alike. 

Click here to nominate

The Distinguished Service to Science Education Award

This award is intended for nominees involved in teacher training programs at the college level, ESD, district administrators or other administrative positions who have made outstanding contributions to mentoring and developing new teachers. The awardee will be selected based on career longevity, breadth of influence, enthusiasm for science and the profession of science education, and the demonstrated ability to motivate. 

Click here to nominate

The Special Service to the Oregon Science Teachers Association Award

This award will be given to an individual who has made significant and long-term contributions of time and effort to supporting the mission of OSTA and to facilitate excellence and continuous improvement in science education. 

Click here to nominate

Ngss Team Award

As Dr. Okhee Lee said, NGSS implementation is a relay, and the strongest runners - the classroom teachers - take the baton over the finish line. OSTA has created the NGSS Team Award to honor the incredible teamwork happening at schools and districts statewide. This award will be given to a team of K-12 teachers who are sharing the work of implementing NGSS-aligned curriculum and assessment at their school or in their district.

Click here to nominate 

Next year's awards will honor science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and/or computer science teachers working in grades K-6. Nominations will open in the fall. 

The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) are the highest honors bestowed by the United States government specifically for K-12 science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and/or computer science teaching. The Awards were established by Congress in 1983. The President may recognize up to 108 exemplary teachers each year.

Awards are given to science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and/or computer science teachers from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Department of Defense Education Activity schools, or the U.S. territories as a group (American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and U.S. Virgin Islands).

The award recognizes those teachers have both deep content knowledge of the subjects they teach and the ability to motivate and enable students to be successful in those areas. Since the program's inception, more than 5,000 teachers have been recognized for their contributions in the classroom and to their profession.

Awardees reflect the expertise and dedication of the Nation's teaching corps, and they demonstrate the positive impact of excellent teachers on student achievement. The National Science Foundation administers PAEMST on behalf of The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

Why Apply?

Recipients of the award receive the following:

  • A certificate signed by the President of the United States.
  • A paid trip to Washington, D.C., to attend a series of recognition events and professional development opportunities.
  • A $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation.
  • An opportunity to build lasting partnerships with colleagues across the nation.


Meet our 2022 Awardees!

Meet our 2020-21 Awardees

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