The Chrysler Foundation last week recognized 47 teachers from 30 schools with its Walter P. Chrysler "Closing the Technology Gap in Education" awards.

The program, held at the Detroit Science Center, recognizes Michigan public school teachers who have taken extra steps to stimulate students in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math. Now in its third year, the program recognizes teachers who inspire students to pursue careers in technical and scientific fields.

"Chrysler LLC supports education because it is vital to our state, and our industry's future, that Michigan continues to produce the best and brightest minds in science, technology, engineering and math," said Frank Klegon, executive vice president for product development at Chrysler LLC. "Great teachers can bring out a passion for these subjects in their students that directly impacts the careers they choose, and we would like to congratulate each of these teachers for making this possible by providing an inspirational environment and challenging curriculum for their students to excel."

Of the 250 applications submitted, 10 winning schools were selected in the elementary, middle and high school categories for a total of 30 winning schools and the sum of all 30 financial awards totaled $87,000. First, second and third-prize winners received $15,000, $7,500 and $3,000, respectively.

The first place elementary school category winner was Jon Aaron Phillips of Jayno W. Adams Elementary School in Waterford Township. Phillips used innovation and engineering concepts in his classroom to introduce the concept of matter changing state to his students. They designed "snow creatures" first as mock-ups made out of clay, then as creations made of snow, all while measuring and monitoring how their snow creatures changed with time. The students learned to observe, measure and record data as if they were scientists working on a specific project and acquire valuable lessons in the process.

Yandal Waugh of the George Washington Carver Academy in Highland Park placed first in the middle school category. As a mathematics instructor, Waugh's rocketry program introduced the fields of aerospace and aeronautical engineering to students by incorporating physics, engineering and complex math into a fun, hands on experience for his students. The students designed, developed and tested rockets with an opportunity to launch their rockets at the end of the project. Furthermore, the school's America Rocketry Challenge Team qualified to compete in the national finals, which has encouraged other students throughout the school to join the program.

The high school category winner, Kyle Hughes, of Clarkston High School's OSM Tech Academy, introduced a robotics club program at her school to teach students high-level skills. Club members strive to communicate the importance of science, mathematics, engineering and technology to younger students and the community. First, students observe, then, they handle the tools before they're finally ready to operate highly complex machines.

Winners who placed fourth through tenth place received $500 grants. The awards support new educational programs in science, math, engineering and technology curriculums at each respective school.

Other winners in the elementary school category were: second place, Mary Lou Krause and Linda Mondol, Post Oak Elementary School, Lansing, Lansing School District; third place, Lynette Baumann, Cherokee Elementary, Clinton Township, Chippewa Valley Schools; fourth place: Erik Cliff and Holly Hanson, Central Woodland 5/6 Elementary, Ada, Forest Hills Public Schools; fifth place, Cristi Jackson, Fisher Elementary, Redford Township, South Redford School District; sixth place, Heather Bochenek, Beverly Fanelli and Suzanne O'Brien, Fox Elementary School Macomb, Chippewa Valley Schools; seventh place, Kristina Rider and Sherry Hutchins, Brimley Area Elementary School, Brimley, Brimley Area Schools; eighth place, Jill Murphy and Lucinda Mitchell, Ruth Fox Elementary School, North Branch, North Branch Area Public Schools; ninth place, Gary Koppelman, Blissfield Elementary School, Blissfield, Blissfield Community Schools; and 10th place, Lori Sparks and Barbara Morley, Commerce Elementary School, Commerce Township, Walled Lake Consolidated Schools.

At the middle school level, second through 10th place winners were: second place, Jill Amico and Laura Amatulli, Avondale Meadows Upper Elementary, Rochester Hills, Avondale School District; third place, Jessica Kallenbach, Centennial Middle School, South Lyon, South Lyon Community Schools; fourth place, Steven Jacobs, Dundee Middle School, Dundee, Dundee Community Schools; fifth place, Jeffrey Bradley, Slauson Middle School, Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor Public Schools; sixth place, Patrick Berry and Allen Birkholz, Bloomfield Hills Middle School, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Hills Schools District; seventh place, Meredee Vaughan, Ray Freeze, Mary Villegas, Pat Pendarvis, Bill Curtis and Mary Davis, Dwight Rich Middle School Magnet Academy for Math, Science, and Engineering, Lansing, Lansing School District; eighth place, Dwight Sieggreen, Hillside Middle School, Northville, Northville Public Schools; ninth place, Herb Wansitler, Grand Blanc East Middle School, Grand Blanc, Grand Blanc Community Schools; and 10th place, Mary Tarrien, Earhart Middle School, Detroit, Detroit Public Schools.

At the high school, second through 10th place winners were: second place, Mark Supal, Macomb Mathematics Science Technology Center, Warren, Warren Consolidated Schools; third place, Tim Loney, Richard Tinsey, Greg Bukoski and Jason Strunz, Tuscola Technology Center, Caro, Tuscola Intermediate School District; fourth place, Emily Polnski, Novi High School, Novi, Novi Community School District; fifth place, Scott Spry, Henry Ford II High School, Sterling Heights, Utica Community Schools; sixth place, Sean Hickman, Pinckney Community High School, Pinckney, Pinckney Community Schools; seventh place, Lori Kleinow, Monroe High School, Monroe, Monroe Public Schools; eighth place, Geoffrey Clark, Utica High School, Utica, Utica Community Schools; ninth place, Christine Trent, Lakeland High School, White Lake, Huron Valley Schools; and 10th place, Nick Blackmer, Hartford High School, Hartford, Hartford Public Schools.