RPSB Teacher Named Top 50 Finalist for Global Teacher Prize

ALEXANDRIA, La. — 7,000 worldwide nominations. 50 finalists from several countries. Only four finalists from the United States. 

One of those four finalists from the Varkey Foundation’s Global Teacher Prize was Lacey Hoosier, a science teacher at Buckeye High School. 

This global recognition program’s goal, in partnership with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, is to highlight the accomplishments of the very best teachers in the world and how their work elevates the profession and positively impacts their communities. 

Hoosier, who’s been teaching for 18 years exclusively in Rapides Parish, is among those exceptional teachers who continue to develop themselves and their students for the better. 

Hoosier’s commitment to STEM education and her ability to empower students set her apart. 

She’s built a STEM program from scratch and has garnered $70,000 in funding through grants over the years. Her tenacity doesn’t stop there: she’s also constructed an outdoor classroom where students can perform their own investigations and feel a deeper connection to their environment. 

Her STEM students won a national competition to work with NASA to build an experiment that is being sent into the stratosphere this summer: it will collect data on UV rays through sensors they coded and designed.

Hoosier’s not only been named a Top 50 Global Teacher Prize Finalist, she’s also been named the Louisiana Science Teachers Association’s “Outstanding Science Teacher of the Year”. Furthermore, she’s a finalist for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics & Science. 

As a finalist, Hoosier was invited to Paris, France, where the Top 10 finalists and the winner were revealed. 

“I came back from Paris inspired by the other finalists. Many are working in schools that have much fewer resources than we do here in the United States,” Hoosier said. She now plans to create STEM boxes with her students that can be sent to third world countries. 

It’s her hope to make STEM education more accessible and interactive. Hoosier’s drive and high expectations have created a learning environment where she and her students thrive. 

We congratulate her on this amazing accolade! 

Read more about Hoosier’s nomination here: https://bit.ly/GTPtop50

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