Dr. Evans Wins Christ Educator Prize from National Coalition of Girls Schools

Since joining the Foxcroft faculty in 2010, Evans — who serves as Chair of the STEM Department at the all-girls boarding and day school — has led the transformation of an already strong Math and Science curriculum into a signature STEM program. She has spearheaded the addition of engineering, AP computer science, and other new courses; the integration of technology across the curriculum; and the cultivation of relevant partnerships and extracurricular opportunities that have created a model program.

 

Established in 2016, the H. William Christ Educator Prize is presented annually to a person who has demonstrated commitment to extraordinary teaching, program design, and/or curricular innovation in an NCGS school. This year’s presentation will take place on Tuesday, June 19, in Washington, DC, during the Global Forum on Girls' Education. 

 

Evans became a teacher after a lengthy career as an aerospace engineer, motivated by the opportunity to inspire and impact the lives of students. At Foxcroft, she has served as a science teacher, math teacher, science department chair, and chair of the STEM department, which is a combination of the traditional Math and Science departments. She also has coached Odyssey of the Mind, Team America Rocketry Challenge, and volleyball teams.

  

Among the many new courses introduced under Dr. Evans’ leadership are Aerodynamics, AP Computer Science Principles, AP Environmental Science, Explorations in Engineering, STEM Applications and Technology, Forensic Science, and Computer Programming Logic and Design. The driving principle behind these course additions is to deliver content using exciting, engaging, and active learning approaches. Students are exposed to a breadth of technology across the curriculum, enabling them to learn how to be successful with any new tool or software product.

 

Evans is particularly proud of the Explorations in Engineering course, a service learning course modeled on Purdue University’s EPICS K-12 (Engineering Projects in Community Service) program. In eight years, more than 15 projects have been designed, built, and delivered to area non-profits including therapeutic riding centers, local elementary schools, area nature preserves, a history museum, and the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute.

 

Several strategic partnerships to support Foxcroft School’s annual Expedition K2M (a STEM competition for middle and high school girls) and Jump into Game Design (a programming night for middle school girls) have been nurtured by Evans. At Expedition K2M, sponsored by Leesburg biomedical engineering firm, K2M Inc., 160 girls compete in events that challenge them with physics, biology, chemistry, math, and logic problems created by Foxcroft's STEM faculty. Female engineers from K2M are on hand as well to serve as role models for the competitors. A partnership with the Scalable Game Design team at the University of Colorado has helped Foxcroft computer science students introduce over 70 middle school girls to computer game design at the Jump into Game Design events.

 

By fostering the introduction of curricular and co-curricular programs that grab the interest of the students, Evans has grown the girls’ interest in fields where women are traditionally underrepresented, and Foxcroft has seen a higher percentage of graduates exploring STEM majors in college.

 

Evans was recognized for her excellence in teaching in 2015, when she received Foxcroft’s inaugural Mary Louise Leipheimer Excellence in Teaching Award. She is a longtime resident of Loudoun County and the mother of three, Kate (Foxcroft Class of 2014, UVA 2018), Sean, and Hayes Eagen.

Congratulations, Dr. Evans!