Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Winners of Sally Ride-Deloitte Awards for Teaching Innovation in STEM Announced; Teacher-Created Computer Programming Curriculum Takes Top Prize

  • 03/02/15

San Diego, Calif. – Sally Ride Science today announced the winners of a nationwide contest for K-12 educators in the U.S. to recognize innovations in instruction related to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) as well as STEM careers.

The Sally Ride-Deloitte Award for Teaching Innovation in STEM, launched in summer 2014, received more than 100 entries from across the United States. Entries were submitted via Sally Ride Science’s STEMCentral.com, an online library of resources for educators where the winning entries may be viewed.

The winners were chosen by a panel of judges that included: Ira Flatow, the award-winning TV journalist and host of PRI’s Science Friday radio show; René McCormick, Executive Director of Science Programs at the National Math and Science Initiative; and Dr. Sandra Magnus, former NASA astronaut and Executive Director at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).

The first-place winner is Ryan York, an administrator at RePublic Schools in Tennessee and Mississippi. His innovation—a free, open-source computer programming curriculum and teacher training program—was hailed by the judges as one that “fills a practical need and looks toward the future,” and that “hopes to shatter the statistic that not a single female, African-American, or Latino student took the AP Computer Science Exam in Mississippi.”

RePublic Schools will be receiving a $5,000 cash prize as well as a Sally Ride STEM License (valued at $3,500)—which will deliver innovative online professional development, dozens of Teacher Guides with lessons and activities, and interactive eBooks to an entire RePublic school.

"At RePublic, we’re teaching our scholars — most of whom come from low-income backgrounds — to code because we believe it will help them break the cycle of poverty," said Lee Pedinoff, Director of Talent and Development for RePublic Schools. "We are honored to be the grand prize winner and are fired up to leverage the Sally Ride platform with our scholars and teachers."

Cofounder and CEO of Sally Ride Science Dr. Tam O’Shaughnessy says of the contest, “Introducing students to the opportunities in STEM fields is a growing priority throughout our educational system. We know that we need to cultivate scientific literacy throughout the K-12 years, and teachers will be the ones to make that happen. We are grateful that Deloitte has generously taken this step with us, to reward the ideas that are already out there, and spur even more innovation around STEM learning in the years ahead.”

Two second-prize winners each received $2,500 for their schools, and Sally Ride STEM Licenses for their schools as well. Additionally, there were five third-place finishers, each of whom earned a $1,000 award for their schools. To view winning entries, visit: https://sallyridescience.com/stem-central/innovation-award-2014

Featured

  • Sam Houston State University Completes Athletic Stadium Renovations

    Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, recently announced the reopening of Elliott T. Bowers Stadium after an extensive renovation project, according to a news release. The university partnered with Stantec and DLR Group for the project’s design.

  • Health & Science Building

    Health & Science Building

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. The College of Western Idaho's Health & Science Building has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Project of Distinction award in the category of New Construction.

  • Planning with Clarity: Using AI to Make Better Campus Decisions, Not Just Better Designs

    Higher education leaders are being asked to make increasingly high-stakes decisions about campus facilities amid greater uncertainty than ever before. Social and economic pressures, shifting enrollment, and evolving learning models compete with growing deferred maintenance needs to strain even the most robust infrastructure budgets.

  • Can AI Help Build Stronger Communities in Student Housing?

    Student housing success is shifting from operational performance to student experience, with belonging now at the center. A recent 2025 report underscores a growing emphasis on student well-being, community, and engagement, signaling that expectations now extend beyond logistics to ensure students feel supported in their living environments. AI is enabling that shift by reducing administrative workload and giving teams more time to focus on meaningful student engagement.