Unruly Studios Announces the 2021 Unruliest Educator Awards

BOSTON, Jan. 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Unruly Studios, creator of Unruly Splats, has announced the winners of the 2021 Unruliest Educator Awards honoring teachers and education leaders driving innovation and breaking down barriers in STEM education. Over 850 community votes were tallied among 26 nominees from school districts across North America.

"By their very nature, Unruly Splats attract the most creative and tenacious educators who care deeply about making learning more fun and inclusive," said Bryanne Leeming, CEO and Founder of Unruly Studios. "We are thrilled to spotlight five inspiring leaders in this year's Unruliest Educator Awards. In a challenging year of remote and hybrid instruction, these educators embraced new methods of teaching and used coding as a springboard to foster collaboration, problem-solving, and many other social-emotional skills."

See below for the five winners of the 2021 Unruly Educator Awards. Drum roll please!

MOST RESILIENT EDUCATOR: Thomas Girolamo, Concourse Village Elementary School, NY

Thomas Girolamo, known as Coach G, didn't skip a beat this year even as New York City public schools moved between hybrid and remote learning. His students managed to get the most stomps of any school in the Unruly Fall Fitness Challenge, winning the Unruly Golden Splat.

UNRULIEST TECHIE: Cory Gleasman, Tennessee Tech University, TN

Dr. Cory Gleasman is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science Education and specializes in coaching teachers on how to implement engaging cross-curricular coding activities in their K-12 classes.

UNRULIEST LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALIST: Shannon Miller, Van Meter Schools, IA

As Innovation Director and Librarian at Van Meter Schools, Shannon is always searching for new resources to get her students excited about learning. She loves sharing her stories and resources with fellow educators.

UNRULIEST ADVOCATE: Alexa Sorden, Concourse Village Elementary School, NY

Alexa Sorden is the founding principal of her school in the South Bronx and has served as an educator in New York City for 20 years. Alexa is widely recognized as an innovative school leader who incorporates technology in creative ways to connect with students (or "scholars" as she calls them!) and their families.

UNRULIEST PE TEACHER: Kevin Napier, Nuckols Farm Elementary School, VA

PE with Kevin Napier is always an adventure! From Guitar Hero to virtual snowboarding, Kevin is consistently finding new tools that get his students energized and moving. Kevin is a strong role model for his students and always eager to join in and break a sweat, too!  

All winners have received a trophy honoring their dedication to bringing STEM education into their schools and communities. Go here for more highlights from the announcement of the awards on Twitter.

About Unruly Studios

Unruly Studios is the creator of Unruly Splats, the first STEM learning tool that combines coding with active-play. Students build their own games with programmable floor buttons that they can code to light up, make sounds, and collect points when stomped on. Unruly Studios' vision is to create an electronic playground that makes learning more playful, collaborative, and inclusive. The team is made up of experts in cognitive science, toy manufacturing, education, and technology who bring broad industry experience from Scratch, Hasbro, Mattel, Nickelodeon, iRobot, Disney, and MIT Media Lab.

Media Contact
Charlotte Ward
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SOURCE Unruly Studios, Inc.