The leadership of Intermediate Unit 1 is proud to announce that educators and schools from the IU1 region have earned major recognition at the 2025 conference of the SAS Institute in Hershey — including a statewide “Teacher of the Year,” a Blue Ribbon School, a Purple Star School designation, and a national-level STEM teaching finalist.
Honors Include:
- Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year:
Madeline Loring, 4th Grade Math teacher at Jefferson Morgan Elementary School, was named the 2025 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year, the Commonwealth's highest recognition for classroom educators. - Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year Finalist:
Jennifer Nesser, 2nd-grade Science & STEM teacher at RW Clark Elementary School in Laurel Highlands School District, was selected as a finalist for this prestigious statewide award. - 2025 Pennsylvania Blue Ribbon School:
Charleroi Area Elementary School earned the Blue Ribbon designation, awarded to schools that demonstrate exceptional academic performance, strong student growth, and effective instructional leadership. - 2026 Purple Star School:
Fort Cherry School District received the Purple Star designation, which honors districts that provide outstanding support, resources, and stability for students and families connected to military service. - National STEM Honor – PAEMST Finalist:
Nicholas Phillips, Math teacher at Trinity High School, was named a finalist for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching — the highest national honor for K–12 STEM educators.
This combination of awards represents an extraordinary moment for the IU1 service area. It is rare for a single region to bring home this many recognitions across multiple categories in the same year — and it reflects the collective dedication, innovation, and student-centered excellence found throughout IU1’s schools.
“IU1 is extremely proud of these individuals and districts for these notable accomplishments,” said Dr. Don Martin, Executive Director of IU1. “Having the “PA Teacher of the Year,” a finalist, a Blue Ribbon School, a Purple Star School, and a national finalist for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science are true testaments to the talent and hard work taking place in our region. I would put our schools up against any in the country in terms of innovation, creativity, and the “whatever it takes” attitude our teachers, staff, and students exemplify on a daily basis - even with tight budgets and limited resources. We are just beaming with pride of these accomplishments.”
In short: the IU1 region is not just meeting expectations — we’re setting them. These honors reflect the talent, passion, and community spirit that define our schools, our teachers, and our families.
