The Presidential Award means that my efforts to perfect the art of teaching each new day in the elementary classroom have been recognized by my colleagues in the state and the nation. I am honored to be considered a role model in my field as I strive to make science relevant to learners, help them to develop a positive attitude about STEM careers, and encourage them to view themselves and their teachers as scientists who make a difference.

Natalie Ylizarde Mantua, OH | K-6, Science, 2012

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

Natalie Harr has been an educator for 9 years.  She has taught first grade at Crestwood Primary School. Previously, she taught kindergarten. Natalie’s passion is to promote science education in the primary grades, helping the Nation’s youngest students understand what scientists do and motivating them to want to become scientists themselves. Using her school’s award-winning school-yard science program as a basis, Natalie has presented a yearlong project called Nature Detectives at national and local conferences. It is also featured in a professional journal and book. Natalie’s most notable work is the Crestwood-Antarctica Connection, which chronicles her experiences as a teacher liaison working on a scientific research team at Palmer Station, Antarctica. Using a Web-based site, she coordinated the largest outreach initiative in the team’s history. Following the expedition, Natalie copublished two professional articles and earned an Antarctica Service Medal. Natalie has been selected to serve as a 2013-2014 Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow at the National Science Foundation. Natalie has a B.S.E., summa cum laude, in early childhood education from Kent State University and an M.Ed. in teaching biological science from Miami University. She is a certified prekindergarten through third grade teacher.

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