“I have gotten to work with Mrs. Lacy firsthand over the past three years as the PLTW Account Representative for Memphis-Shelby County Schools, and she is truly a model educator who challenges her students to explore their learning while applying their math and English Language Arts (ELA) skills, learning science to standards, and adopting skills that are foundational across disciplines all while discovering their passions. Mrs. Lacy does all this by supporting rigorous learning immersed in hands-on activities, projects, and problems that build upon each other and relate to the real world.”  
Joshua Rusk, Director of Strategic Accounts, Project Lead the Way (PLTW).

This is how educator Cheryl Lacy and Principal Tommy Elliott at Whitehaven Elementary were notified that Mrs. Lacy had been named by Project Lead the Way (PLTW) as one of only 16 24-25 Outstanding PLTW Launch Teachers of the Year across the U.S. Mrs. Lacy, a STEM program teacher at Whitehaven Elementary and an educator for 19 years at Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS), has led multiple initiatives to grow and advance the STEM program at the school, collaborating with key community partners.

Mrs. Lacy has attributed some of her success in growing her class's educational program to the principal's support of his team, which allowed her to be more creative in developing more hands-on learning experiences. Another crucial player in the success of their program is community partners. One of her latest lesson plans was focusing on the human body and how it functions. Through a partnership with the Little Medical School of the Mid-South, Ms. Duncan came in to explain the functions of all the tools in a physician's medical bag. From the stethoscope to the blood pressure cuff, the culmination of the lesson plan exercise was that students were able to perform a physical on one of their classmates.

This is just one of the ways Mrs. Lacy was able to introduce more dynamic teaching strategies. Mrs. Lacy is also always on the lookout for grants that can assist her and her classroom; she secured $15,000 through grant funding that went toward upgrading some of the computers and electronics used in their STEM lab. Community partners are a significant asset for Whitehaven ES and MSCS schools; through them, our students are exposed to a variety of increased opportunities.

Mrs. Lacy expressed her appreciation for the nomination and reaffirmed that her passion for the work is dedicated to the students. She said, I do it for the children, and that the most important recognition for her is seeing her students excited about her award. "I am sincerely grateful and excited to be recognized as 1 of 16 Project Lead the Way Outstanding Teachers of the Year. This recognition is a tremendous honor, and I am deeply humbled to be among such a talented and dedicated group of educators. I believe that STEM Education is crucial for future generations, and we must prepare students for the challenges and opportunities of the future. Project Lead the Way has provided me with the framework, resources, and support to create engaging and advanced STEM experiences for our students. I am dedicated to Whitehaven Elementary STEM School's goal of exposing our students to as many STEM Careers as possible before they reach middle school, with the hopes that they will more likely choose a STEM career path of study in high school and college. I am committed to continuing to inspire and empower Memphis's students to be the next generation of STEM Leaders. I look forward to continuing my STEM journey representing Project Lead the Way, Whitehaven Elementary STEM School, and Memphis-Shelby County Schools to the best of my ability."

Mrs. Lacy hopes to see the Whitehaven STEM program get its own building in the future and find ways to implement newer technology like VR to dedicate more resources to the advancement of the students and their future successes.