To be a recipient of the Presidential Award is an awe-inspiring and humbling experience. Receiving this award serves as validation that my continued quest to ensure that my students are exposed to inquiry-based learning and have the opportunity to respond critically is recognized as noteworthy by other science professionals. It also serves as motivation to improve my craft as a science educator in an effort to ensure that my students are prepared to compete globally.

Nneka Howard-Sibilly St. Thomas, VI | 7-12, Science, 2013

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

Nneka Howard-Sibilly has taught science at the Charlotte Amalie High School for the past 15 years. She currently teaches Advanced Placement Biology to seniors, but has taught several other science courses within the curriculum. At Charlotte Amalie High School, Nneka is chairperson of the science department and utilizes her leadership skills to coordinate class schedules, institute program development, conduct professional learning communities, and orient new members of the faculty. Nneka's desire for students to apply scientific knowledge goes well beyond the classroom. She is the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fair coordinator and encourages teachers in other disciplines to prepare students for the various categories of the fair. She has also served as the coach of the Science Bowl team for the past five years. The 2015 team is the current regional champion and is preparing for the National Science Bowl. Nneka also serves as the assistant coach to students competing in the KidWind competition. Nneka is a member of the School Improvement Team where she provides input on research-based practices in science to improve science instruction. She is also the 2012 Virgin Island Teacher of the Year. Nneka has a B.S. in biology from Morgan State University and a M.S. in science education from Nova Southeastern University. She is certified in secondary science education.

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