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BATON ROUGE — Each year the Louisiana Department of Education hosts Teacher Leader Summit, a gathering of Louisiana teachers from across the state.  Each district sends their best and brightest educators to learn proven instructional strategies, to hear what’s on the horizon of Louisiana’s educational landscape, and to be inspired by their peers and partners in education. The event, like many things in our lives, has had to shift to virtual in the past years, but from May 31 to June 2, 2022 the LDOE Teacher Leader Summit returned even better than before.  For three days, hundreds of sessions are led by the Department of Education and by actual teachers, teacher leaders and leaders in the education industry. One part of the summit allows industry to connect with practice.  Through the Education Expo educators can interact with educational support partners, and this year there was a new addition.

STEAM Power Education is led by East St. John alumni and former St. John Parish educator, Jasmin Green Porter.  STEAM Power Education is an education consulting and coaching company with one key goal at the heart of every school and district partnership – making educators’ lives easier and their loads lighter.  STEAM PowerED works alongside schools and districts to craft, support, and exceed goals for educator practice and student success.  STEAM PowerED matches tough school challenges with sustainable, SMART solutions through customized professional learning plans.  While the company is usually about the business of supporting schools and educators, Jasmin used the Teacher Leader Summit as an opportunity to share a mug and a smile.  She noted, “I want to use the company as an opportunity and an asset… to give the sincere care and support I always appreciated as a classroom teacher and teacher leader.  STEAM PowerED is designed to provide more of the reinforcements educators need and create systems of support so there is less of what they don’t need.”

Teachers were able to grab inspirational mugs with coffee pods, pens, sanitizer, portable chargers, notebooks, and lots of other coffee-themed teacher freebies. There was a photo booth to capture fun memories shared between teacher friends before they part for another much-deserved summer.  St. John community partners – Roussel’s Antiques, David Lee’s Boutique, and Ohh Snap Event Rentals – provided gift cards and beautiful prize baskets to raffle off to lucky winners along with STEAM PowerED backpacks filled with teachers’ favorite supplies.  Local St. John small businesses like PJ’s Coffee and entrepreneurs like Imanea Collins were also highlighted in teacher giveaways.  No educator left STEAM PowerED’s table without a gift and a smile.

While the world may have dark clouds dispersing over seemingly safe schoolyard spaces, STEAM PowerED sought to be, the flicker of light and the warm hug every teacher needs. It’s not the career it used to be yet educators continue to take on uncertain front lines armed with fun and engaging lesson plans, SMART boards, high-quality curricula, and a heart determined to meet every child with the excellent education they deserve.  When they are afraid, underappreciated, underpaid, understaffed and under-resourced, educators consistently meet challenges with bravery, innovation, resourcefulness, promise, preparation and dedication.  Jasmin Porter is using STEAM PowerED to leverage their resilience and their collective expertise.  Cooperative goal-setting, on-the-job learning, literacy initiatives across every content, and customized teaching tools all work together to move the needle for students and support the efforts of those still tenacious enough to take on the noblest and most honorable profession.  Educators are amazing people. They deserved every bit of joy and inspiration Teacher Leader Summit 2022 had to share, and STEAM Power Education was very happy to be a small part of a big blessing to school communities all over Louisiana.