Teachers to receive cash prize as part of new engineering award
Engineers Australia launched its new Award for Excellence in Teaching yesterday at Mount Eliza House, Kings Park.
The Award will recognise a secondary school teacher who has demonstrated excellence in applying the principles of engineering, enhancing the learning of students and increasing community awareness of the profession.
Both the teacher the corresponding school will each receive a $5,000 cash prize as part of the Award.
Engineers Australia WA Division President, Chris Fitzhardinge, officially launched the new initiative.
“Australia has an abundance of role models that encourage us to pursue sporting and cultural careers but our future depends on a productive partnership between education, engineering, science and industry working for the benefit of the community.
“We should recognise the skills, commitment and capacity of teachers who inspire, inform and challenge our best and brightest minds to be engaged in science and engineering and who encourage innovation,” he said.
The Award for Excellence in Teaching forms part of a strategy by Engineers Australia to increase the number of students studying the science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects, to ensure an adequate number of "home grown" engineers and scientists in the future.
Secondary school teachers in WA are eligible to nominate for the Award, and they may teach in a variety of areas including science, technology and enterprise, mathematics and physics or could be a coordinator for programs that use engineering principles in projects.
For more information about the Award including the Nomination Form visit the web site www.engineersaustralia.org.au/wa and view the Schools Program section.
