Noah Crofoot, Lynnwood High School

Noah Crofoot
Lynnwood High School

2017 Award Recipient

Nominated by the American Society of Civil Engineers

Noah Crofoot, Lynnwood High School, has been selected as the recipient of the 2017 K-12 STEM Engineering Teacher of the Year in recognition of his many contributions to the education of K-12 students by showing them about science and exciting careers in engineering. A graduate of Western Washington University, he employs hands-on learning experiences for his physics students.  He has adopted inquiry-based laboratory exercises and conceptual teaching models.  His students annually compete in the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Popsicle Stick Bridge Building Competition.  He makes all of his students build their own bridges and holds a class competition to select the top students to participate in the ASCE competition.  In this way, each student must design and build a bridge. As part of the competition, engineers are invited to come to the school and talk to his students about careers in engineering.

Working with another teacher, he started a Technology Student Association to create out of class opportunities for students to continue learning and growing in technology fields.  Students are required to go out and make real measurements and analyze real situations.  One example was a requirement to determine the ideal length of mud flaps for semi-trucks.  His required students to use kinematics to calculate the maximum angle a water droplet could leave a tire and not hit the car behind.

Many of his students are considering career options, and he routinely invites engineers into his classroom to inform students what it is like to be an engineer.