08/31/2026
Big news from Dyersburg Intermediate School.
Technology coach and STEM teacher Brenda Gibson, an Austin Peay alumna who earned her M.A.Ed. in Educational Leadership Studies, is the West Tennessee recipient of this year's GOVing Tuesday "Increasing STEM Education in Rural Schools" award made possible by Austin Peay State University Alumni.
Dr. Hanrui He, Dr. Erica Boone, and Kevin Fee from the Eriksson College of Education surprised her with a $2,000 check to fund "Future Me" STEM Career Exploration. The project transforms her STEM lab into career-based stations where students use digital microscopes, robotics kits, force gauges, and anemometers to investigate real-world problems and track progress through a STEM Passport system.
The Eriksson College of Education is awarding a total of $6,000 to three rural educators across Tennessee's grand divisions. One more check drop is on the way, and the next stop is somewhere in Middle Tennessee!