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Proviso West teacher Danielle English Jones honored with NSTA award, proposes districtwide STEAM summer program
Summary
Danielle English Jones, a department chair at Proviso West, told the board she received a 2026 NSTA award and proposed reviving and scaling a 2019 interdisciplinary STEAM summer program districtwide in 2027, citing conference takeaways on AI, equity and project-based learning.
Danielle English Jones, who identified herself as a department chair, told the Proviso Township High School District 209 board on May 12 that she received a 2026 National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) award and shared key takeaways from the conference. She described themes including AI to support instruction, equity and multilingual supports, project-based STEM learning, and culturally relevant science instruction.
English Jones proposed that the district revive a summer STEAM program previously run in 2019 (that program served about 30–35 students across three schools) and work toward a scaled, multi-cohort summer offering in 2027. She said the earlier program included cross-curricular projects, family expo events with community partners (including bankers and local professionals), and hands-on experiences that culminated in a student expo attended by parents.
Why it matters: Reviving and scaling a STEAM summer program could expand hands-on, interdisciplinary learning and community partnerships for secondary students; successful scaling would require district planning, teacher cohorts and time to secure community partners.
What the record shows: English Jones described the 2019 program structure (5-week summer program with cross-curricular projects, a student expo, and outside mentors) and said pandemic interruptions prevented subsequent iterations. She asked the board to consider supporting planning for a 2027 summer launch, citing the planning time required to reassemble community partners. The transcript includes her statement: "AI technology, equity and access, multilingual support, career connection, inquiry-based learning, and teaching collaboration" as conference themes and her comment that "we cannot... never have opportunities to combine what they're learning into something that can be used to help them and their community."
Board response: Board members thanked English Jones and recognized her award; staff and the principal acknowledged the work and said a photo and formal recognition would be taken. A question about whether community bankers could be lined up this year prompted English Jones to recommend planning for 2027 rather than an immediate launch because of timing constraints.
Next steps: English Jones asked for a teacher planning cohort and the board indicated appreciation; administrative follow-up was suggested to explore timing and partner commitments before any formal proposal or budget request is brought forward.
