Teacher Innovator Awards

Recognizing inHub's Most Innovative Teachers

Presented by RTX


Teacher Innovator Awards

The Henry Ford’s Teacher Innovator Awards recognizes teachers from our inHub community who inspire their students using innovation/invention education lessons and practices.

View Official Rules

Nominate an educator:

If you are or know an educator who fits the description, please nominate yourself or them for one of three awards:

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inHub National Teacher of the Year

Open to all U.S. K-12 educators who have been members of inHub for at least 90 days.

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inHub International Teacher of the Year

Open to all K-12 educators in Mexico who participate in Mexico Inventa and are nominated by the Mexican affiliate for Invention Convention Worldwide.

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Invention Convention Teacher of the Year

Open to U.S. K -12 educators who participate in a recognized Invention Convention Worldwide program and who are nominated by their affiliate.

Applications

Applications for the 2025 Teacher Innovator Awards opens on October 1, 2024 and closes on January 30, 2025.

For questions or more information, please email TIA@thehenryford.org.

Nominate an Educator

Prizes

Winners of all three awards will receive an all-expenses paid trip to the 2025 RTX Invention Convention U.S. Nationals on June 4-6, where they will have the opportunity to take place in student judging and be recognized in the Nationals award ceremony.

Winners will receive $3000 for classroom supplies as well as various other prizes.

2024 Winners:

inHub National Teacher of the Year: Michael Craig, Michigan

inHub International Teacher of the Year: Josefina Rangel Castorena, Mexico

Invention Convention Teacher of The Year: Doug Scott, Massachusetts

2023 Winners:

Grand Prize Winners: Brian Copes, Samantha Samuels, Lisa Werner, Cari Barocas, Harry Preston V, Amanda Exley Lower, Holly Whitt, Bruce Williams, Mike Farmer, Vida Cantieri.

First Place Winners: David Edelman, Amy Ely, Tina Gleason, Dawn Haught, Beatrix Hutton, Elizabeth Jorgensen, Kristie Letter, Lalitha Murali, Jon Schrage, Dipali Vaughn

2022 Winners:

Grand Prize Winners: Laura Cummings, Azine Davoudzadeh, Kathryn Gross-Jacek, Kimberly Kauffman, Valerie King, Rosemarie LeFaivre, Aspen Mock, James Pitochelli, Sarah Tapley

First Place Winners: Erik Bean, Vida Cantieri, Elizabeth Jorgensen, Melissa Romero, Aaron Straus

2021 Winners:

Grand Prize Winners: Rachel Arbor, Joann Blumenfeld, Michael Dunlea, Kelli Johnson, Lee Loden, Jennifer Macias Morris, Matthew Mutschler, Amy Porter, Melissa Tracy, Aziz Zahraoui. First Place Winners: Brooke Brown, Madison Coleman, Cierra Coyner, Christopher Hemler, Elizabeth Jorgensen, Valerie King, Kate Kogge, Melissa Romero, Heather Russell, Christopher Stanley

2020 Winners:

Darbie Valenti, Hollie Gumm, Joy McKarns, Kristina Glass, Melissa Major, Patryja Krakowiak, Shannon Garrison, Susan Barkdoll, Julia Varnedoe, Trevor Macduff

2019 Winners:

Shaugn Thomas, Kyle McGrath, Josh Webster, Claudine James, Sergio de Alba, Robin Suda, Kevin Crosby, Tiffany Bullman, Kerryn Henderson

2018 Winners:

Kathleen Lanman, Alicia Tester, Jessica Hekman, Teresa Sappington, Charles Laurent, Bruce Dale Toney, Alison Francis, Katherine Owens, Rachel lamb, Timm Green

2017 Winners:

Sean McCarroll, Joseph Boggs, Dawn Burton, Kathy Boisvert, Spencer Kiper, Wanda Small, Jon Paddock, Denise Scribner, Steven Lamb, Lisa Weis

2016 Winners:

Scott Weiler, Fabian Reid, Catherine Turso, George Hademenos, Jill Badalamenti, Cindy Lewis, Leon Tynes, Tracie Adams, Maureen Foelkl, Jessica Klass

2015 Winners:

Joe Morris, Donna Gradel, Linda Reimond, Lyle Crossley, Melissa Collins, Jamie Ewing, Saba Ghole, Mark Suter, Wrayna Fairchild, Laura Bradley, Bobby Moore

The 2024 Teacher Innovator Award winners. From left to right: Michael Craig, Josefina Rangel Castorena, Doug Scott

The 2023 Teacher Innovator Award winners. From left to right: Brian Copes, Samantha Samuels, Lisa Werner, Cari Barocas, Harry Preston V, Amanda Exley Lower, Holly Whitt, Bruce Williams, and Mike Farmer. Not pictured: Vida Cantieri.

The 2022 Teacher Innovator Award winners. From left to right: Sarah Tapley, Azine Davoudzadeh, Kimberly Kauffman, James Pitochelli, Rosemarie LeFaivre, Laura Cummings, and Kathryn Gross-Jacek. Not pictured: Valerie King and Aspen Mock.

The 2021 Teacher Innovator Award winners. From top left to bottom right: Rachel Arbor, Joann Blumenfeld, Michael Dunlea, Kelli Johnson, Lee Loden, Jennifer Macias Morris, Matt Mutschler, Amy Porter, Melissa Tracy, and Aziz Zahraoui

The 2020 Teacher Innovator Award winners. From top left to bottom right: Darbie Valenti, Hollie Gumm, Joy McKarns, Kristina Glass, Melissa Major, Patryja Krakowiak, Shannon Garrison, Susan Barkdoll, Julia Varnedoe, Trevor Macduff

The 2019 Teacher Innovator Award winners. From left to right: Shaugn Thomas, Phil Grumm (THF), Kyle McGrath, Josh Webster, Claudine James, Sergio de Alba, Robin Suda, Kevin Crosby, Tiffany Bullman, Kerryn Henderson, Frederick Rubin (THF)

The 2018 Teacher Innovator Award winners. Top middle: Kathleen Lanman. Back row: Alicia Tester, Jessica Hekman, Teresa Sappington, Charles Laurent. Bottom row: Bruce Dale Toney, Alison Francis, Katherine Owens, Rachel lamb, Timm Green, Lucie Howell (THF)

The 2017 Teacher Innovator Award winners. From left to right: Sean McCarroll, Joseph Boggs, Dawn Burton, Kathy Boisvert, Spencer Kiper, Wanda Small, Jon Paddock, Denise Scribner, Steven Lamb, Lisa Weis.

The 2016 Teacher Innovator Award Winners: Standing, From left to right: Leon Tynes, Jill Badalamenti, Fabian Reid, George Hademenos, Scott Weiler, Catherine Turso, Tracie Adams Sitting: Maureen Foelkl, Cindy Lewis (Unable to attend: Jessica Klass)

The 2015 Teacher Innovator Award winners. From left to right: Joe Morris, Donna Gradel, Linda Reimond, Lyle Crossley, Melissa Collins, Jamie Ewing, Saba Ghole, Mark Suter, Wrayna Fairchild, Laura Bradley. (Unable to attend: Bobby Moore.)

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Presented By

RTX

RTX is an aerospace and defense company that provides advanced systems and services for commercial, military and government customers worldwide. With 195,000 employees and four industry-leading businesses ― Collins Aerospace Systems, Pratt & Whitney, Raytheon Intelligence & Space and Raytheon Missiles & Defense ― the company delivers solutions that push the boundaries in avionics, cybersecurity, directed energy, electric propulsion, hypersonics and quantum physics.

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