The Presidential Award is an incredible honor and a reflection of the passion I feel for instilling a love for science in young children. It is my hope that this award will open avenues for educating others about children's innate sense of discovery and ability to think at advanced levels. We can foster positive attitudes toward science at the earliest stages of children's educational careers and value their inquisitive nature by including them in our scientific communities. 

Pamela Nolan-Beasley Waitsburg, WA | K-6, Science, 2012

The official biography below was current at the time of the award.

Pam Nolan-Beasley has been an educator for 30 years, spending the last 13 years teaching kindergarten at Waitsburg Elementary School. Pam is a dedicated advocate of science for young children. She integrates challenging inquiry and scientific investigations throughout all curricular areas.  Pam's students love being scientists. She also presents innovative hands-on Science Nights where students and their families conduct experiments together and parents learn the scientific process.   Pam assists her colleagues in the use of kits and technology.  She trains staff in many areas of science content and effective teaching practices. She is a Washington State Leadership and Assistance for Science Education and Reform (LASER) Facilitator, and is a teacher leader for sustainable innovation and reform in science instruction. She trains kindergarten teachers from southeastern Washington in the use of their foundational kits, science standards, formative assessment, and science notebooks. Pam has developed science-standard alignment documents for LASER and the local education service district, provided input for drafts of the Next Generation Science Standards, and pilot-tested kits for publishing companies. Pam has a B.A. in bilingual education from Eastern Washington University and an M.A. in foreign languages and literature from Washington State University. She is certified as a K-12 teacher.

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