NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Elizabeth Zahn, the science coordinator for Columbus Elementary School, has been selected to receive the 2016 Anton Banko Award for excellence in elementary school science teaching.
The award is given by the Science Teacher’s Association of New York and will be presented at a ceremony in Rochester in the fall. It includes a $1,500 grant for classroom use.
Zahn, who has been with the New Rochelle school district for 24 years, gave credit for the award to the amazing professional development opportunities she’s had over the years. She has worked during the summer in science labs at Columbia University, participated in programs that took her to classrooms in Malaysia, Singapore and Japan, and took part in a leadership program at Mercy College.
“As an educational practitioner, I am continually improving my practice through experiences, challenges and collaboration with others,” Zahn said. “Teaching children to think critically and creatively is at the heart of all learning. To do this, we must also be willing to take risks and extend our own learning to beyond the classroom walls.”
