WHAT’S NEWS IN UPPER ST. CLAIR
THE ULTIMATE
GARDEN TOUR
USC TEACHER
EARNS CARNEGIE
SCIENCE AWARD
Carnegie Science Center celebrated the
achievements of local leaders in science
innovation, research, and education with
the 2018 Carnegie Science Awards, and
USC resident Mary Collins—a teacher
at Peters Township Middle School—was
among the winners as the Middle Level
Educator honoree.
A seventh-grade math teacher, Collins
inspires students and staff at her school
to appreciate and apply STEM concepts.
She transformed an old computer lab into
the Hub of Imagination, where students
can experiment with 3D printing,
computer and video equipment, a vinyl
cutter, NAO robots, and virtual-reality
headsets. Students have participated in
workshops involving the Hockey Scholar
program, Hour of Code, and vinyl cutter
instruction with T-shirt design. She also
works with other teachers to help them
infuse technology into their instruction,
such as using virtual reality to take foreign
language students on a tour of France and
Spanish-speaking countries.
The Carnegie Science Awards
champion efforts to strengthen science
and technology in our region. This year’s
winners range from a culinary arts teacher
whose coursework extends beyond the
conventional kitchen into food-science
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