In the quest to ignite innovation in education, the Allen Distinguished Educators (ADE) program awarded $25,000 to a teacher from Nikola Tesla STEM High School. Alyson Nelson was recognized as 2016 ADE for her engineering program that demonstrates the best in classroom innovation across the country.

Nelson was one of seven awardees selected from the 81 initial applications from 31 states. From the 16 finalists, seven winning projects were chosen, representing 12 K-12 teachers from six different states.

Nelson’s students are bringing their personal passions to her biomedical engineering classes and solving major issues in the world. For example, one class designed a new type of prosthetics that will allow users to play guitar or participate in high-intensity sports like skateboarding and skiing. Nelson also partners with a sociology teacher to engage her students in researching causes of pandemic infections and to seek ways to care and cure patients.

“Many of these students decide to pursue careers in engineering or the medical field as a result of their experiences in my program,” Nelson said. “This award provides me an outlet to share what I do with other teachers around the country who may be unsure about how to incorporate engineering into their courses.”

“A national search for innovation in education revealed a significant appetite for student-led education programs,” said Dave Ferrero, Senior Program Director for Education at Vulcan Inc., a Paul G. Allen company. “We believe that recognizing and supporting innovative teachers and their programs will create hands-on, real-world opportunities for student that are replicable models of success.”

The ADE program was established in 2014 with an inaugural class of seven ADEs who continue to support the program as ambassadors, sharing their experience to inspire experiential learning in classrooms across the country. Founded by Seattle-based philanthropist Paul G. Allen, the program focuses on the integration of computer science, engineering and entrepreneurship into engaging, student-led learning. This type of curriculum can help students build skills, habits and dispositions that can transform their lives and lead them to success in the 21st century.

To see more about each winner’s project and the resources available through the ADE program, visit the ADE website.