This month, we recognize Erin Kraal, a geologist and planetary scientist at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, for her interdisciplinary and innovative approaches to instructing students and teachers.

This month, we recognize Rebecca Newschaffer, 7th grade math teacher at AMY Northwest Middle School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Nominated by one of her peers, “Rebecca has been teaching for over 20 years and she has been teaching in Philadelphia for the last 8 years. She is always interested in teaching integrated math and science units that require the use of real time data. She is especially excited about co-teaching the Weather and Climate unit because there is such a wealth of data that students can organize and make claims about.

This month we recognize Judy Treichler of 12th and Marion Elementary School in Reading, Pennsylvania. For the past two years, Judy has shared her professional experiences and knowledge by serving as a presenter at the PAESTA Annual Conference. In 2013, Judy led a session on grant proposal writing for teachers. In 2014, Judy presented on notebooking with claims, evidence and reasoning. Both of her sessions were very well attended, and Judy has quickly earned the respect and reputation as a leader in teaching Earth science at the elementary grade levels.

This month we recognize David Andrews, who teaches general science, environmental science and chemistry at Butler Junior High School in Butler, Pennsylvania. In August, the White House Council on Environmental Quality, in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, announced David as a winner of the annual Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators. In a ceremony at the White House, David was one of 17 teachers from across the nation honored for contributions to environmental education and stewardship.

This month, we recognize Dr. David Bauman, Science Education Advisor for the Pennsylvania Department of Education, for his dedication and hard work towards improving education in all areas of science, which include the Physical Sciences, Life Sciences and Earth and Space Science.  Dr.

This month, we recognize Theresa Rabogliatti, who teaches grades 6-8 at Our Lady of Grace Catholic School in Pittsburgh, PA, for being selected as an official 2014 NASA Educator Ambassador for the Mars MAVEN mission. Theresa is one of only 60 teachers nationwide chosen for this honor, and she now trains other teachers on topics fundamental to space science, specifically magnetism and spectroscopy.

This month, we recognize Valerie Adams, a sixth-grade teacher at John H. Taggart School in Philadelphia, PA. Valerie has used hands-on collaboration as an effective classroom strategy for her students to share their perspective on Earth science topics without the fear of criticism or being misunderstood.  For her female students that still had a fear of sharing their ideas, Valerie started a Girl Power STEM group during the lunch period.  She found the girls excited with the focused investigations and able to share their knowledge and understanding through Girl Power.

This month, we recognize Christopher Hartman, a math and science teacher at Daniel Boone High School in Birdsboro, PA. Chris has consistently pursued professional development opportunities, such as the summer and academic-year programs offered through the Penn State Earth and Space Science Partnership. He also shows a strong commitment to the overall academic excellence of his students, having served as his school's Academic Challenge adviser since 2009.

This month, we recognize John Trey Smith III, a high school science teacher from Boys' Latin of Philadelphia Charter School in Philadelphia, PA, for being selected for the 2014-2015 Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program. Beginning in September, Trey and thirteen additional selected educators will serve an 11-month fellowship in Washington, D.C., at sponsoring agencies.

This month, we recognize Blake Colaianne of Dallastown Area High School in Dallastown, PA, for his commitment to professional development and for sharing his classroom pedagogical innovations in Earth and space science.  Blake is the 2012 William B. McIlwaine Science Teaching Award winner from the Pennsylvania Science Teachers Association and an author on two peer-reviewed journal articles, including one manuscript in the Journal of Geoscience Education.