Melissa Hirt is New York State's recipient of the Margaret Ashida STEM Leadership Award for 2022.
The award that honors the memory of Margaret Ashida, known for creating a wave of change through her tireless efforts to create connections between business/industry and STEM educators, recognizes STEM leaders who serve as similar role models in their own communities.
Hirt is a technology and engineering teacher at Stephen and Harriet Myers Middle School and just completed her 31st year teaching in the district and her lessons this past year varied from learning about the chemical reaction needed to make homemade ice cream to programming robots. But there is one common theme: the hands-on assignments often engage even the most reluctant student and Hirt draws students in by demonstrating the applicability of science and math to every-day life.
"I love to teach! My students often question why we are doing math (or science or ) in tech class and I think that is is important for young people to see the connections between subject areas. My class allows them to make these connections through hands-on real world activities," explains Hirt.
Hirt will be formally honored at a conference hosted by the New York State STEM Education Collaborative July 24-26 at Alfred State College.
"Ms. Hirt's unceasing advocacy in interdisciplinary STEM learning and career preparation are an essential part of our Myers building and Tech department teams," said the district's Secondary Supervisor for Science, Technology, and MS FACS, Amanda Powers.
"Her collegial support and collaboration, instructional flexibility and innovation, positive and constructive leadership, and the thoughtful, passionate, organized way that she engages in her work has been exemplar to all of us in STEM education."
Congratulations Melissa Hirt!
