BAY MINNET, Alabama (WALA) – On Tuesday morning, September 20, 2022, the science teacher at Baldwin County High School had a big surprise. The winning teacher receives a cash prize that can be used for classroom projects.

Bates’ first term Earth and Space class was the setting for the US awards team to announce the news. , the class was definitely a surprise when they announced that their teacher, Hunter Bates, had been named one of this year’s winners.

“Yeah. Then I was like, ‘I won. I won $500. That was a big deal,'” Bates said. “Dr. Paige and America, thank you for coming. $500 is for the kids.”

“The opportunity for students to engage in authentic learning is very important. It gives them that hands-on experience. They are doing something to improve their community.”

Bates entered the competition hoping to expand on an outdoor project she started with some of her classes last year. Near the entrance to the campus was a pond that had fallen into disrepair for many years. Her senior at BCHS, Kareem Stevens, and other students last year cleaned and patched it up and brought it back to life.

“It’s great that we’ve done something that’s actually been recognized and let other classes experiment and do projects and do cool things with it like you said. ‘ said Stevens.

Today, ponds support a wide variety of animal and plant life. Bates often takes classes outdoors and uses ponds as the center of environmental stewardship. He said this his $500.00 check would go a long way in doing just that.

“We just want to have everything ready for them and make sure they are ready for the real world. I need more income to do that. I read this book every day, but the reality is that every time kids go out and practice, they learn more,” Bates said. explained.

Most of the money will be spent on technology that will allow Bates to project images from the microscope onto the video display board in the classroom. This brings the micro world of the pond to life and allows you to use your time more efficiently.

Other winners here in Mobile County included entries from the Burton Academy for Advanced World Studies, Clark Shaw Magnet School and Williamson High School. All winners also received two tickets to this weekend’s Jags home game against LA Tech. Congratulations to all the winners!

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