Teachers in 13 Ohio Catholic schools win STEM awards

Thirteen schools in the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland have won Ohio Governor’s Thomas Edison Awards for Excellence in STEM education and Student Research.

The Ohio Academy of Science (OAS) selected 48 Ohio schools and 615 teachers to receive the award for their accomplishments during the 2022-2023 school year. Of the 615 teachers, 152 come from the Diocese.

“These schools and teachers are preparing students for the future through application-based learning,” said OAS Executive Director Michael Woytek. “Their students are learning and gaining confidence by solving complex problems through inquiry and technological design.”

The award was established in 1985 to recognize schools and teachers for excellence in STEM education outside the traditional classroom setting.

Schools are eligible for the award if they:

• Conduct a local science fair with 12 or more students and have two or more of these students participate in the District Science Day or have six or more students participate in the District Science Day when no local has been conducted. 
• Have their students participate in at least one additional youth science opportunity beyond the classroom. 

The award is part of an initiative between the Ohio Academy of Science in cooperation with the governor’s office and the Technology Division of the Ohio Development Services Agency to recognize schools and teachers for excellence in STEM education and scientific student research.

According to the Diocese website, the winning schools include: St. Sebastian in Akron, 19 teachers; Holy Trinity in Avon, 10 teachers; St. Raphael in Bay Village, eight teachers; St. Ambrose in Brunswick, 19 teachers; St. Mary in Chardon, 13 teachers; St. Agatha-St. Aloysius in Cleveland, five teachers; St. Paschal Baylon in Highland Heights, 13 teachers; Seton Catholic in Hudson, 14 teachers; St. Francis Xavier in Medina, 20 teachers; St. Peter in North Ridgeville, 17 teachers; St. Albert the Great in North Royalton, 16 teachers; Incarnate Word Academy in Parma Heights, 26 teachers; and St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Wooster, 12 teachers.