I am fortunate enough to have been inspired by great teachers, colleagues, and mentors along my journey. I am honored and humbled to be recognized for the hard work and dedication to my craft and appreciate the opportunity to inspire other talented educators who choose to do the hard work in America’s classrooms every day. 

Patrick Kaplo Windham, NH | 7-12, Science, 2015

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

Patrick (Pat) Kaplo is an 11th–12th grade Physics teacher at Windham High School where he has taught since 2010. Previously he taught for six years at Campbell High School in Litchfield, NH. A veteran of the Navy, he served as a technician on a nuclear powered cruiser prior to his teaching career. Pat drives engagement in his classes, asking his students to build six foot tall trebuchets, ride CO2 powered fire extinguisher rocket carts, and visualize wave phenomena in an eight foot long fire tube. Pat’s 200 YouTube physics videos extend his contact time with students by over three hours per day. Student enrollment in physics has skyrocketed in Windham; over a third of all students having taken physics at the Advanced Placement level before graduating. He initiated afterschool programs to improve access to science and engineering for female students, as well as a high-altitude ballooning team which has launched science payloads to the edge of space. He serves as a mentor to new teachers and aspiring college students. Patrick was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship through which he taught physics in India and is the recipient of the 2009 Milken Educator Award. He was recently recognized as a Distinguished Alumnus from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell. Pat earned a B.S. in mechanical engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and a M.Ed. from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell.

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