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Harris County students showcase Green Power STEM program; district honors two teachers and outlines conservation grant opportunity
Summary
Carver Middle School students demonstrated their Green Power electric go‑kart program and described leadership roles; the board also accepted two inaugural 'Professor Von Oop' awards and heard that Britney Moss won Georgia's Outstanding Biology Teacher of the Year and is pursuing a Guy Harvey Foundation conservation training and scholarship opportunity.
Carver Middle School students told the Harris County Board of Education on Nov. 13 that a school‑run Green Power program is giving them hands‑on STEM experience, leadership practice and new career ideas.
"All ideas matter," said Wyatt Davis, an eighth‑grade student and Green Power participant, describing how the program helped him communicate and respect others' contributions. Chris McCallum, the school's engineering and technology teacher, said students build electric go‑karts from kits and race them against other schools; he invited board members to visit the lab and attend upcoming local races.
Students and staff outlined distinct roles on the team: Parker Golden described responsibilities as a gear specialist who optimizes gear ratios to conserve battery, Caitlin Simmons said working as an electrician and driver broadened her career interests, and Mason Weddle explained his role in social media and publicity to sustain the program.
Also during the meeting, the board accepted the first two Professor Von Oop awards, a scholarship established by donor Dave Jeffers through the Chattahoochee Valley Community Foundation to recognize creative teachers. Jeffers named Jamie Davis (a first‑grade teacher at New Mountain Hill) and Sarah Mack (a third‑grade teacher at Park) as the inaugural recipients.
The board also recognized Britney Moss, who was selected as Georgia’s Outstanding Biology Teacher of the Year by the National Association of Biology Teachers. Moss described a partnership opportunity with the Guy Harvey Foundation: teacher trainings aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards, $1,000 scholarships for teachers who attend to take students on conservation field trips, and a district‑level designation if 75% of schools maintain conservation‑school status.
Board members praised the students and teachers. The presentations closed with invitations to visit Carver’s lab and to consider the conservation training and grant opportunities as part of district professional development and field‑trip planning.
