Nominations for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching

By Renee Dopplick, ACM Director of Public Policy
April 11, 2014

April 15 is the deadline for nominations of K-6 teachers, including computer science teachers, for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST), administered by the National Science Foundation on behalf of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Award recipients receive a certificate signed by the President, a paid trip for two individuals to Washington, D.C., and a $10,000 award from NSF.

Anyone may nominate an exceptional K-6 mathematics or science teacher using a brief online form asking for the name of the teacher, the teacher’s email address, the school name, and the nominator’s contact information. Teachers may nominate themselves. Once a teacher is nominated, the teacher will receive an email within login information to complete an online application. Only teachers nominated by April 15 may complete an application. Applications are due by May 15.

The nominee must:

  • Teach mathematics or science (including computer science) at the K-6th grade level in a public or private school.
  • Hold at least a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
  • Be a full-time employee of the school or school district as determined by state and district policies, and teach K-12 students at least 50% of the time.
  • Have at least 5 years of full-time, K-12 mathematics or science (including computer science) teaching experience prior to the 2013-2014 academic school year.
  • Teach in one of the 50 states or the four U.S. jurisdictions. The jurisdictions are Washington, DC; Puerto Rico; Department of Defense Education Activity schools; and the U.S. territories as a group (American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands).
  • Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
  • Not have received the PAEMST award at the national level in any prior competition or category.

To learn more or to nominate a teacher, visit: https://www.paemst.org