CHRISSY OHLINGER / Special to the PVT Statewide ING representative Manny Martinez, left, and Superintendent Rob Roberts present the Unsung Heroes award and scholarship to Mary Brickles at Hafen Elementary School during a recent ceremony. Advertisement

Mary Brickles of Hafen Elementary School received the Unsung Heroes award and scholarship for her program titled "Multi-Media Mania" Tuesday, January 29th.

Nye County School District Superintendent Rob Roberts and Principal Terry Owens attended the ceremony, at which Manny Martinez presented a plaque and check for $2,000 to Brickles.

The money will be used to buy supplies to fund Brickles program. She plans to purchase two high-resolution digital microscopes called "proscopes" and digital cameras with the remaining funds.

Brickles attended a district technology training along with 40 other education professionals, which inspired her to take the technology being used today into the classroom.

In April 2007, Brickles was working as a science lab and enrichment teacher for grades two through five at Hafen Elementary. She saw a notice on the teacher bulletin board and decided to give it a try.

This year Brickles has changed positions to assistant principal of Hafen Elementary School, but Paula Ward, the new science teacher, is happy to continue implementing the program.

In the program, students will work in groups at a high-tech station, where they will animate through digital photography and clay models a designated scientific process.

Each station will be equipped with a high-tech microscope, microphone, digital camera and laptop computer on which students are encouraged to become independent researchers.

The groups will demonstrate the process by creating claymation images and dropping their photos into movie-making computer programs to produce moving clips. Each group will present its project to the class.

Students will take ownership of their projects and the teaching role will transform into a facilitating role.

The Unsung Heroes award is a national scholarship award created by ING Financial Services to enable creative teachers to develop "innovative programs and compelling lesson plans that will capture their student's attention and stimulate their minds to spark their imagination."

The award is open to teachers in grades kindergarten through 12.

Teachers must apply by filling out an application and describing their proposed project in 250 words or less. This is the third scholarship awarded in Nye County School District. ING has awarded over 2.8 million dollars nationally.