Celebrating Great Tech Teachers in Oregon and SW Washington

Teacher of the Year Award: We encourage you to nominate a teacher for the TechStart Teacher of the Year award.

Nominate a Technology TEACHER

TechStart will be honoring three Oregon tech teachers with Technology Teacher of the Year Awards, to be presented in May 2025 at the 41st Annual Oregon Technology Awards,

  • K-8 Technology Teacher of the Year

  • High School Technology Teacher of the Year

  • Technology Teacher Rising Star – Any Grade Level (K-12)


Click here to see the 2024 Teacher of the Year award winners

Award winners receive recognition as TechStart Technology Teacher of the Year and a $1,000 stipend for their classroom to spend on tech education materials, including hardware, software, services, or curriculum.

Get involved today by nominating a tech teacher (including yourself), volunteering to judge, or contributing to the program. Please help recognize great K-12 tech teachers who work in a private or public school in Oregon or SW Washington. If you’re a teacher, administrator, parent, or community member who knows a tech teacher who deserves recognition, please nominate them.


THE AWARDS PROCESS

For the 2025 Technology Teacher awards, TechStart has a two-step nomination process. There is a short form for teachers and administrators to nominate a Teacher of the Year candidate. Once the candidate is nominated, TechStart has a TechStart Teacher of the Year Application form to be completed to gather information about the candidate. Here is the awards schedule:

2025 NOMINATION AND AWARD SCHEDULE

  • March 17: Close nominations for teachers

  • April 8: Close application process for teachers to recommend students and for teachers to apply after being nominated

  • April 17: Select and notify winners and invite them to the TAO awards

  • May 5: Present awards at the TAO Tech Awards event

What makes a TechStart Technology Teacher of the Year?

TechStart applauds all technology teachers. For our awards, we will be recognizing teachers who:

  • Make a sustained, positive impact in the classroom, school, and district

  • Work to broaden technology learning among underserved and underrepresented students, including Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), rural, and marginalized gender students

  • Demonstrate tech education leadership and engagement beyond the classroom

  • Use innovative and successful teaching strategies

Any Oregon or SW Washington teacher or others working to support computer science education for K-12 students and schools—including licensed teachers, administrators, classroom assistants, tech staff, community volunteers, mentors, and others—is eligible to be a Technology Teacher of the Year.

Award winners receive recognition as TechStart Technology Teacher of the Year and a $1,000 stipend for their classroom to spend on tech education materials, including hardware, software, services, or curriculum.

Technology TEACHER Application