Dr. Joyce Patton teaches robotics and engineering to middle school students after a lifelong career in engineering. Hands-on learning and flight experiments add up, and Dr. Patton is dedicated to giving her students the full experience. Currently, Dr. Patton’s students are working on very specific hands-on projects in flight and medical detective work. So, when her family nominated her for WBTV’s back-to-school shopping spree contest, the win couldn’t have come at a better time. 

“I’ll spend it on stuff for the classroom for my kids!” Dr. Patton said, highlighting just how dedicated she is to her students and their learning journey.

When a student asked, “Can we grow rutabagas?”, Campo Undivided High School teacher Sabra Lowell-Lovejoy didn’t expect a simple yes to have such a big effect. Soon, students were eager to start growing all kinds of hearty vegetables. Now, alongside her students, Mrs. Lovejoy leads a unique initiative to bring fresh food to the cafeteria all year long. 

“Junior high and high school students are currently creating recipes that use our produce, comply with child nutrition guidelines, and will be taste-tested by students,” Mrs. Lovejoy said. “We are currently working on carrot cake bars or muffins, as well as breakfast casseroles or burritos featuring peppers and onions.”

Learn more about Mrs. Lovejoy’s impact in the classroom and her Farm-to-Freezer program in the full interview.

The Artemis II mission that took place in April 2026 created a unique unity among communities across the globe. As the mission prepared for launch, teachers began to prepare their students for this historical moment.

At Johnson High School in Buda, Texas, Brian Griessel’s rocketry class had a perfect opportunity to align upcoming projects with the mission. The project offered a chance for students to team up and come up with ideas for rocket launches and egg drops. The Artemis II mission helped unite the teams and collaborate, just as the Artemis II astronauts and NASA came together to achieve great feats.

Learn how other teachers across K-12 brought inspiration into the classroom with Artemis II in the full article.

Amanda Fina, a new teacher at Southold Elementary School, grew up with science in the classroom, but nothing like what she brings to her students today. Traditionally, we may think of STEM, known as science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Ms. Fina adds art to the mix, bringing a new way of learning science called STEAM. She discovered the concept while subbing, where she got an opportunity to change the trajectory of her role in education. 
“[That] classroom was really inspiring for me as an educator because it was the way that I wish I had growing up,” Ms. Fina said. “I wish I had the hands-on learning, the ability to think outside the box, and share my ideas.” 
She searched for a program that could get her the prep she needed and found it at SUNY Empire State. Now, she's making a big impact on the way students learn, collaborate and build confidence in STEAM.

As teachers get back into the classroom, quarterbacks and wide receivers lace up to get back on the field. However, players aren’t the only ones who get to touch turf. This preseason, the 49ers welcomed educator Luciano Del Rio from Richmond High School as their first Teacher of the Game. 
Del Rio received a personalized jersey and on-field recognition for his contributions to his school’s robotics program– which Del Rio built from scratch. Since the program’s establishment, the robotics team has won back-to-back titles, taking first at Chezy Champs in San Jose and finishing 14-3 to win the CalGames championship in 2025. You can learn more in the full article. 

Watch the moment that made preseason opening night feel extra special.