North Carolina Science Teachers Association

Outstanding Student Teacher in Science Award

are presented to recognize undergraduate teacher education students seeking certification from a North Carolina college or university who have demonstrated outstanding ability as well as promise in the teaching of science during the student teaching process. The nominees must have completed student teaching within a year before the award presentation in November. Three awards may be given: one for elementary grades, one for middle grades and one for high school. The award will consist of a plaque, one year's membership in NCSTA and a monetary award.

Criteria for this award: The student exhibits and has demonstrated the promise of excellence in science teaching as evidenced during the student teaching experience. The student demonstrates through the student teaching experience knowledge in understanding scientific processes, attitudes, and experience of teaching science through the manipulative process.

District Outstanding Science Teacher Awards

are presented to recognize excellence in science teaching in North Carolina, to teachers who exemplify excellent, creative, innovative teaching of science. The award is open to teachers at all grade levels (pre K - college). The winners will receive a plaque and one year's membership in NCSTA.

Criteria for this award: The nominee shall be an educator in North Carolina who has been in his/her present position for at least 3 years and has demonstrated exemplary teaching in the following ways: creativity in use of science teaching materials; design and use of innovative teaching plans and ideas; development and implementation of department, school, and/or school-community programs for the improvement of science instruction or the stimulation of interest in science and the learning of science; high performance in the use of supplementary materials in an exemplary manner to integrate science with other subjects; and fostering student, school, and school-community instruction programs in science.

Distinguished Service in Science Education in North Carolina Awards

are presented to recognize excellence of contributions to science education in North Carolina. They recognize service to science education in the individual's school, school system, NCSTA district and at the state level. Contributions in seven categories are recognized: 1.) elementary; 2.) middle/junior high; 3.) senior high; 4.) college/university; 5.) administrator/supervisor; 6.) non-school setting; 7.) commercial. The number of awards to be given each year will be determined by the Awards Selection Committee based on the qualifications of the nominees. The winners will receive a plaque and one year's membership in NCSTA.

Criteria for this award: The nominee exhibits leadership in science education beyond the local administrative unit or position; has contributed to improvements in science education beyond the local administrative unit or position; has been associated with science education for at least five (5) years and has worked in a position related to the category in which nominated for at least two (2) years; and has excelled in the aspects of science education relative to the category in which nominated.

Vi Hunsucker Award

This award is named in honor of NCSTA's founder and first president. Vi Hunsucker helped start the organization in 1969 and continued to provide leadership as it grew and expanded. The award recognizes an outstanding science educator who has gone above and beyond the call of duty to serve the students and teachers of North Carolina.

Past Winners

1980 Floyd E. Mattheis
1981 William E. Spooner
1990 Violet D. Hunsucker
1991 Mark S. Baker
1992 Helen M. Cook
1993 Don E. Bailey
1994 Fred Beyer
1995 Betty Abernathy

1995 Jessie Jones
1996 Gerry M. Madrazo, Jr.
1997 Paul Taylor
1998 Charles Q. Brown
1999 Charles T. Vizzini
2000 Peggy W. Holliday
2000 S. Ann Watkins
2001 Michael C. Jackson

2002 Tonya Hancock
2003 Clinton "Jake" Brown
2004 Jo Wallace
2004 Tom Bell
2005 Pat Shane

Requirements for Nomination

It is the nominator's responsibility to assemble a nomination packet which must include:

A completed nomination form.
A narrative from the nominator describing the nominee's experience and/or contributions. Limit to one page.
Two letters of support. One must be from the educator's principal or supervisor (for the student teach, from his/her mentor teacher).

A completed nomination packet must be sent to the Awards Committee Chair and received by deadline, July 31. Incomplete packets will not be considered.