Fox Chapel Area teacher wins Carnegie Science Center award

The director of Fox Chapel Area’s cyber school is the winner of the Carnegie Science Center’s 2019 High School Educator Award.

Stephanie Reilly, the district’s online learning coordinator, will receive the honor on May 10 at the 23rd annual celebration at Carnegie Science Center’s PPG Science Pavilion.

“I am honored and overwhelmed,” said Reilly, who joined Fox Chapel Area in January after previously working in the Plum School District.

There, she was a high school math and science teacher and helped establish a STEAM playground where students show community members how to operate drones, build robots, code animations and more. She also organized STEAM summer camps for teachers and girls in grades 5-8 to educate them on using technology creatively.

”Encouraging girls and underrepresented groups in STEM has been a passion of mine,” Reilly said. “I’ve been so fortunate to be able to work with great students, colleagues and administrators that have allowed me to pursue this passion and hopefully make a difference.”

Reilly was nominated for the Carnegie award by former Plum colleague Kristen Rowe, who said Reilly “worked tirelessly to integrate STEM technology into her classroom and the school building, bringing innovation to her students and fellow educators through classes, camps and other programs.”

Reilly is a mentor for students whose race or gender are underrepresented in STEM industries, Rowe said, and inspires them to have the confidence and perseverance to pursue the opportunities she knows they deserve.

As coordinator of FCA Online, where courses are available to grades six to 12, Reilly has supervised the creation of a high school drop-in center where cyber students can work one-on-one with their teachers.

The Carnegie Science Center established the awards program in 1997 to recognize and promote outstanding science and technology achievements.