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Mostly sunny. Hot. High 94F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph..
Some clouds and possibly an isolated thunderstorm late. Low 72F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.
Updated: September 1, 2026 @ 12:20 pm
Mystee Ansari
Mystee Ansari’s personal logo she created for her STEM programs.

Mystee Ansari
Mystee Ansari’s personal logo she created for her STEM programs.
HEDGESVILLE — Tomahawk Intermediate School fifth grade teacher Mystee Ansari joined the STEM Pioneers Teacher Corps, a group of Mid-Atlantic teachers passionate about elementary STEM education. Through this program, the College of New Jersey, Penn State University and West Virginia University are working together to inspire a select group of teachers and train them in new STEM teaching programs.
Ansari always had a passion for STEM, incorporating special activities in her classroom and starting after school activities focusing on robotics, aerospace engineering and STEM. So, when she saw an email looking for new K-5 teachers specializing in STEM, she knew she had to apply.
Through a $5 million United States National Science Foundation grant, the program aims to elevate STEM education on the elementary level. Some school systems don’t start STEM education until the middle or high school level. By encouraging teachers and providing more resources, they hope to give students a stronger foundation for their future. A total of 27 teachers throughout New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia were selected to participate in a special training during the summer, traveling to the College of New Jersey to learn all about energy and how they can incorporate that in the classroom. For four years Ansari will participate in these professional development programs, traveling to the three universities to focus on different topics.
“It was wonderful and inspiring,” Ansari said. “Some of the teachers have gone far and beyond. Some are actually STEM teachers, and that’s all they teach, and then some are just classroom teachers as well, but we all have special values and different things that we bring into the program. We learn from each other and we’re training each other along with the professors that are coming in and helping us.”
Through STEM Pioneers, Ansari learned about the KidWind Challenge, a competition where students design and build their own small-scale wind turbine. Students learn all about wind and how it’s used as an energy source. Using special kits, they can test out different blades shapes, weights and material to figure out how to create the most energy. Ansari already bought kits for her own students and hopes to work with Berkeley County Schools and other teachers to start a district wide competition. She even hopes to get Jefferson and Morgan Counties involved to create even more opportunities for students.
“I’m hoping that it’ll change other classrooms and how they teach, because you can integrate these things into all of your lessons” Ansari said. “And, yes, we do have a rote curriculum that we have to go by, but we do have time to integrate certain things within the curriculum, which helps kids have those basic critical thinking and problem-solving skills.”
Ansari loves hearing students talking and collaborating as they learn instead of just listening, and that’s what makes STEM so exciting. It gives students a more hands-on way of learning that teaches important skills they need later in life. She sees herself as the facilitator while the students are the ones taking the lead.
“I want every child to have a voice and to spark curiosity, to promote problem-solving, to advance innovation through digital science, reignite resilience through growth, kindle confidence through self-belief and to serve with purpose through STEM,” Ansari said.
Ansari hopes other teachers will feel inspired to get involved and learn more about the program. For more information visit https://www.stempioneers.net/.
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