Spanier earns Outstanding Teacher Award from Project Lead The Way
Posted on: Nov 20, 2023
Delano, MN – Tory Spanier, a Project Lead the Way teacher at Delano High School, is one of only 38 teachers across the U.S. to earn the 2023-24 Outstanding Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Teacher Award, which recognizes educators who demonstrate a strong record of delivering an inspiring and empowering student experience while expanding access to PLTW programs and transforming teaching.
“Delano is proud of Tory’s dedication to students and to applied learning,” said Delano Public Schools Superintendent, Matt Schoen. “Although Tory has many great qualities, his greatest strength is his commitment and student-centered approach to teaching and learning. His encouragement, unfailing enthusiasm, and commitment to PLTW and students allow all students, from all levels of learning, to advance in engineering, architecture, science, math and technology.”
Spanier, a PLTW Master Teacher, has been a teacher at Delano for nearly 20 years with the last 15 years teaching PLTW Gateway to seventh and eighth-grade students. PLTW honored Tory Spanier for his leadership and dedication to PLTW. For the past 15 years, Spanier has engaged students in Design and Modeling curriculum and in Automation and Robotics curriculum. In 7th grade, students discover design processes and develop an understanding of the influence of creativity and innovation in their lives. Eighth-grade students combine mechanisms with input and output devices to automate mechanisms and are challenged to apply what they have learned.
“DHS students are lucky to have Mr. Spanier as a teacher,” said, Delano High School Principal, Barry Voight. “He is an innovator who is consistently looking to adjust his classroom and lessons to reflect the latest in curriculum and technology.”
Each year PLTW honors outstanding teachers and administrators across the network who play an immeasurable role in preparing students to thrive in college, careers and beyond. When Spanier is not teaching PTLW Gateway classes, as a PTLW Master Teacher he trains and mentors other PTLW teachers across the U.S.
"Celebrating great teaching and learning is one the most important things we do at Project Lead The Way. Our network of educators across the U.S. provides students with the skills and knowledge they need to be successful in today's STEM-driven world," said Dr. David Dimmett, PLTW President and CEO. "We recognize and congratulate these educational leaders and are proud of the work they do to ensure all students have learning experiences that excite and prepare them for future careers."
About PLTW
Project Lead The Way (PLTW) equips PreK-12 students for a STEM-driven world with teacher-empowered curriculum in computer science, engineering, biomedical science, and more. For over 25 years, PLTW’s curriculum coupled with its best-in-class professional development has supported teachers in creating an environment to make every student STEM successful. As a national nonprofit organization, PLTW is proud to reach 2.5 million students in elementary, middle, and high schools in all 50 states. With over 100,000 trained teachers nationwide, PLTW brings relevant, hands-on learning to classrooms across the country. For more information on PLTW, visit pltw.org.