Yorktown Native Honored with Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching

A Yorktown native has been named as a recipient of the prestigious Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching and will receive her award in Washington, DC later this month.

Naomi Thaler Volain, a 1976 l graduate, is among the 97 mathematics and science teachers who have received the honor.

The Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching is awarded annually to outstanding teachers from across the country, according to a press release from the White House. The winners are selected by a panel of scientists, mathematicians, and educators following an initial selection process done at the state level. 

"America’s success in the 21st century depends on our ability to educate our children, give our workers the skills they need, and embrace technological change," President Barrack Obama said. "That starts with the men and women in front of our classrooms. These teachers are the best of the best, and they stand as excellent examples of the kind of leadership we need in order to train the next generation of innovators and help this country get ahead."

Volain has been a teacher at the Springfield Central High School in Massachusetts for the past 14 years. She teaches Advanced Placement (AP) Environmental Science, Botany, Pre-AP Biology lab, and Ecology.

Environmental literacy and outdoor education guide Volain’s classes. She brings all her students outside to foster their curiosity while they conduct research. She also coaches the Envirothon Team, a natural resource state competition.

Volain is a member of the NASA Network of Educator Astronaut Teachers, the group that applied to become part of the Educator Astronaut Corps. She has presented NASA educational resources at regional and national teacher workshops, to the Springfield Stars Club, and at events at a children’s museum. She has displayed the NASA lunar/meteorite sample disks numerous times.

Volain worked as Lead Science Teacher for the Massachusetts Math and Science Initiative to increase enrollment and achievement in AP classes by urban students. She has also presented district and regional workshops on oceanography, food science, and AP Vertical Teaming strategies.

The Yorktown native has a Bachelor's Degree in nutrition from the University of New Hampshire and an Master's Degree in biology from the University of Bridgeport. She is certified in secondary biology and is a registered dietitian.

As a winner of the Presidential honor, Volain will receive a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation to be used at her discretion. She is invited to Washington, DC, for an awards ceremony and several days of educational and celebratory events, including visits with members of Congress and the Administration.

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