This past year, I was fortunate to present two technical papers related to the importance of early childhood identity development in relation to STEM careers. One of the most interesting takeaways I learned from my research is that students as young as 5 begin to identify themselves in careers based on what they recognize or what they see. Have a parent in a STEM field? Children identify with that. If children don’t have this exposure at home, teachers can play an early role in that same development. The premise was that curriculums and teachers can do more to help students see themselves in STEM. Today, our guest does just that.

Monika Moorman is a 4th grade teacher from South Florida. Originally from Poland, Monika is a Nationally Board-Certified Teacher and has over 20 years of classroom experience. She’s been selected for a number of fellowships and has presented at numerous state and national conferences. Monika is a genuine STEM and environmental enthusiast and engages her students in numerous after school teams and activities, including Robotics, SECME, and the Solar Car Team. She volunteers as a Space Station Ambassador through NASA’s JPL. We are excited to have the chance to speak with her today.

After our interview, we learned that Monika was selected as Broward County's Teacher of the Year AND was inducted into the latest flight of Spaec Foundation Teacher Liaisons! Congratulations to this awesome teacher and mentor.