Alumna wins New Zealand’s 2020 Prime Minister’s Science Teacher Award
Sarah Washbrooke from Remarkables Primary School in Queenstown, New Zealand has been selected as the 2020 Prime Minister’s Science Teacher Prize winner.
Sarah is a highly valued member of her school and the wider Wakatipu community, bringing her expertise in the Technology Curriculum to the forefront.â¯She has taught at Remarkables Primary School since 2016 as their technology specialist teacher, supporting the development of students within the world of science and technology.
The alumna was nominated for the award by a high school teacher she had previously collaborated with, and the Chair of the Technology Education New Zealand (TENZ).
Another household name, University of Otago epidemiologist Michael Baker, won the Prime Minister s Science Communication Prize.
Otago University said in a statement Prof Baker had been New Zealand s go-to science professional since the start of the pandemic. Prof Baker wrote the book on New Zealand s hugely successful COVID-19 elimination strategy, using multiple forms of science communication to actively promote a move away from a mitigation strategy in early March 2020.
Prof Baker said he was relieved when the Government implemented the COVID-19 elimination strategy. I felt absolutely compelled to communicate because at some points I thought New Zealand was heading off a cliff, particularly a year ago when we were at a real crossroads as to whether to follow a flatten the curve approach or to forge a different direction to eliminate the virus.
Centre director Professor Shaun Hendy said it had been a pleasure to work with the team on such an “unrepeatable experience”. “[Thank you for] listening to us, for trusting us – it’s been incredible – and if we hadn’t had that trust, it would have all been for nothing.” The World Health Organisation’s Diane Abad-Vergara said the work done by Te Pūnaha Matatini on the Covid-19 response has had significant health and social impacts for New Zealand. It is part of the reason why New Zealand is one of the few countries to eliminate the virus, she said.