Tiffany Pace

Tiffany Pace is an extraordinary educator dedicated to empowering students, particularly those from low-income backgrounds, to break the cycle of poverty through education. Her own childhood was marked by extreme poverty and homelessness, but she was guided by mentors who instilled in her the belief that education could be the key to escape hardship. This all shaped her decision to become a teacher, focusing on ensuring students, regardless of their backgrounds, have equal access to educational opportunities. 

Her approach to teaching is rooted in the belief that all students should have the chance to succeed, regardless of financial constraints. Tiffany has demonstrated this commitment through grant writing efforts, securing nearly one million dollars to fund her classroom and school initiatives and allowing her to provide students with hands-on learning experiences, including access to technology, otherwise out of reach. One of her proudest achievements is the creation of a K-5 STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) lab, established without initial funding or curriculum. Her dedication has seen the lab flourish, offering students innovative lessons in coding, engineering, and real-world problem-solving. Her students have even been invited to the State Capitol to teach lawmakers how to code, underscoring the impact of this work. 

Beyond the classroom, Tiffany has worked tirelessly to ensure that her students have access to resources and support. At Cross Lanes Elementary, where she teaches, many students face significant challenges, including poverty, trauma, and food insecurity.  Tiffany’s work extends into the community, partnering with local organisations and universities to provide her students and their families with additional support, including STEAM nights and field trips that expose students to career possibilities. 

Her contributions reach well beyond her classroom. She is an advocate for STEAM education across her state and has created a network for elementary teachers to collaborate and share resources. She also helped establish Clay2Go, a mobile museum bringing interactive STEAM lessons to schools across West Virginia. As a mentor for other teachers and a leader within the West Virginia Science Teachers Association, she works to elevate the teaching profession and share best practices with colleagues. 

Tiffany’s dedication to global citizenship is prominent in her work. After a Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms International Field Experience, she co-created the first United States and Uruguay STEAM Team. Each month, her students collaborate with students in Uruguay on environmentally focused STEAM challenges, fostering a sense of global responsibility. This initiative, alongside others like the Take Action Global Build the Change project, helps her students understand their role as global citizens and the importance of cultural exchange. 

Her commitment to sustainability and climate change education is another hallmark of her teaching. The innovative STEAM challenges see her students engage with critical issues like sustainable packaging, bee population decline, and climate change. By guiding her students to become “citizen scientists” and helping them develop solutions for environmental challenges, she is teaching them about science while empowering them to take action in their communities.