🚗💥 Science That Saves Lives: 20 Education Professionals Selected for PocketLab + IIHS Crash Science Training!
We’re thrilled to announce 20 outstanding educators have been selected to participate in a one-of-a-kind professional development experience hosted by PocketLab and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)!
This June, these district science leaders will travel to the IIHS Vehicle Research Center in Ruckersville, Virginia, for a fully funded, immersive STEM training event that puts real-world science front and center. Over two powerful days (June 23–24), participants will explore how scientists and engineers use data, technology, and biomechanics to make vehicles safer—and how those same tools can transform the K–12 classroom.
These educators will then travel back to their home districts and pass on their new knowledge and resources to all of their science teachers to use with their students!
🔬 What Makes This Event So Special?
This isn’t your average PD. These educational professions will:
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Tour a world-class crash testing facility.
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Witness a live vehicle crash test (yes, in real time!).
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Get hands-on with PocketLab G-Force sensors and crash science curriculum aligned to participants states standards.
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Collaborate with experts Dr. Griff Jones and Dr. Clifton Roozeboom, who are redefining what meaningful STEM education looks like.
Each participant is receiving:
💥 Bringing Real-World STEM Into K–12 Classrooms
From momentum and inertia to cell stress and energy transfer, crash science brings textbook physics to life in the most compelling way possible. The selected educators will be equipped to train teachers in their districts and roll out this program during the 2025–26 school year. The experience culminates in a LIVE virtual field trip, where students can watch a crash test streamed from IIHS and engage with scientists in real time.
👩🏫 Why It Matters
This initiative isn’t just about cars—it’s about student engagement, equity, and opportunity. By using real data, high-impact video, and inquiry-based learning, PocketLab and IIHS are helping districts deliver accessible, meaningful science that prepares students to think critically and solve real-world problems.
Please join us in congratulating the 20 innovative educators selected for this experience. We can’t wait to see how their leadership sparks transformation in classrooms across the country!
Andrea Anders, Chicago Public Schools
Ashtin Barnes, Katy ISD Texas
Trey Barlow, Albemarle County Public Schools Virginia
Cat Buchanan, Charlottesville City Schools Virginia
Ian Buter, Charles County Public Schools Maryland
Alyx Casillas, Madera Unified School District California
Lourdes Carrasco, Miami-Dade County Public Schools- Florida
Keith Congdon, Greene County Public Schools Virginia
Kenya Cooper, Cobb County Schools- Georgia
Chidi Duru, Prince George's County Public Schools Maryland
Diane Engelman, Harford County Public Schools Maryland
Dylan Fedell, Palisades School District Pennsylvania
Janice Gatewood, Cobb County Schools- Georgia
Dr. JP Keener, Broward County Schools- Florida
Lisa Milan, Pittsburgh Public Schools Pennsylvania
Erica McNeil, Shelton Public Schools Connecticut
Niemi Melissa, Muscogee County School District Georgia
Steven Moody, Ph.D, Fulton County Schools- Georgia
Jennifer Orodeckis, Montgomery County Public Schools- Maryland
Catherine Phillips, Lynchburg City Schools Virginia
Fikisha Puentes, Chesterfield County Public Schools Virginia
Janet Schnauss, Duval County Public Schools- Florida
Jennifer Slater, Katy ISD Texas
Stacie Woodruff , M.Ed, Cypress-Fairbanks ISD- Texas
