FOXBOROUGH, Mass.--- Josh Kraft, President of Kraft Family Philanthropies, announced that Shannon Morey has been selected as the Massachusetts STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) Teacher of the Year by the Patriots Hall of Fame presented by Raytheon Technologies. Morey teaches physics and chemistry at Abbott Lawrence Academy in Lawrence, Mass. As this year's recipient of the honor, her school will receive $5,000 in her name to be used for STEM education. Morey will also serve for one year on the governor's STEM Council.
"Shannon brings tremendous enthusiasm to her classroom and loves encouraging and inspiring her students to excel," said Kraft. "She cares about her students and is passionate about helping them reach their full potential. Shannon represents the work of so many STEM teachers throughout Massachusetts who are helping to develop our next generation of scientists, engineers and technological leaders."
The achievement was recognized by Lt. Governor Karyn Polito, the Co-Chair of the Massachusetts STEM Advisory Council.
"Congratulations to Shannon Morey on this well-deserved recognition honoring her leadership and guidance in STEM education," said Lt. Governor Polito. "Teachers like Shannon are invaluable to guiding young people toward exciting and engaging courses and careers, and are critical in our efforts to inspire a STEM start."
Moriah Illsley, the Patriots Hall of Fame's education coordinator, congratulated Morey for being named the Patriots Hall of Fame presented by Raytheon Technologies Massachusetts STEM Teacher of the Year.
"Shannon's dedication to her students is incredible," Illsley said. "She has an amazing way of encouraging her students to grow, learn, and explore the core content through social justice focused curriculum, equitable grading practices, and varied teaching strategies. She will do a great job using this title and her term on the Governor's STEM Council to advocate for equitable practices in the classroom."
"I work hard to make my classroom a place where students feel that their voices are important and that they can help address the pressing issues of our time," Morey said. "I do this through infusing my instruction with pedagogy focused on equity, using methods that seek to give students ownership of classroom discussions and encourage them to see themselves as the producers and owners of knowledge."
Morey was chosen from a group of five finalists. The other four teachers' schools will each receive $1,000 for STEM education courtesy of Raytheon Technologies.
Those teachers are:
- David Arruda- Carver Middle High School
- Katie Cersale-Messina- Beachmont Veterans Memorial School and SeaCoast High School (Revere)
- Dr. Rayna Freedman-Jordan Jackson Elementary School (Mansfield)
- Lindsey L'Ecuyer-Andover High School
Illsley thanked fellow selection committee members Keith Connors from the Department of Higher Education and Meto Raha from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for their work in selecting this year's STEM Teacher of the Year.
"Both Keith and Meto have been on the selection committee for years," said Illsley. "They dedicate a great deal of time to the selection process each year and their commitment to recognizing excellence in STEM education in our state is unparalleled."
ABOUT THE STEM TEACHER OF THE YEAR PROGRAM
The Patriots Hall of Fame launched the STEM Teacher of the Year program in October of 2012 when Robert Kraft announced the initiative at the Massachusetts STEM Summit, held that year at Gillette Stadium. Morey is the tenth recipient of the award. Kelly Powers, from the Advanced Math & Science Academy Charter School, was the inaugural winner in 2013. Other past winners include Doug Scott from Natick High School in 2014, Kerry Murphy from Oliver Ames High School in 2015, David Mangus from Brockton High School in 2016, Kathleen Malone from Derby Academy in Hingham in 2017, Erin Cronin from Revere High School in 2018, Amanda Hough from Mashpee Middle-High School in 2019, Tori Cameron from the Gordon W. Mitchell School in East Bridgewater in 2020 and Becky Colo of Longsjo Middle School in Fitchburg in 2021. The STEM Teacher of the Year award is part of the Patriots Hall of Fame's education program, which offers students in grades 4-12 standards-based educational modules in a fun, entertaining setting. The Patriots Hall of Fame typically hosts more than 20,000 school field trip visitors annually.
ABOUT THE PATRIOTS HALL OF FAME PRESENTED BY RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES
Through a dazzling array of interactive multimedia exhibits and artifacts, the Patriots Hall of Fame showcases the tradition of the New England Patriots, explores the history of football in New England and promotes math and science education for thousands of schoolchildren each year. The Patriots Hall of Fame's signature exhibit is the Super Bowl Experience. Visitors to the interactive exhibit can re-live each of the team's Super Bowl championships, and view the Vince Lombardi Trophies and Super Bowl championship rings. For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit www.PatriotsHallofFame.com, visit "The Patriots Hall of Fame" on Facebook or follow @TheHall on Twitter and Patriotshall on Instagram.
