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Mainly cloudy. Low 78F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.
Updated: July 31, 2026 @ 4:40 am

Brian Copes
Jerry Webb
Brian Copes and Jerry Webb
Shannon Treece, principal of Babcock Ranch Neighborhood School.

Brian Copes and Jerry Webb
BABCOCK RANCH — Babcock Ranch is bringing nationally recognized STEM educators Brian Copes and Jerry Webb to Babcock Schools, the school announced this week.
Copes and Webb bring more than 60 years of combined experience in project-based learning, STEM education and workforce development, the announcement states.
Working alongside award-winning STEM Director Lori McLain, they will expand hands-on learning opportunities that connect classroom instruction to humanitarian challenges facing communities around the world.

Beginning this school year, students will have opportunities to participate in numerous STEM projects that extend far beyond the classroom.
Planned initiatives include:
• Designing and constructing solar-powered classrooms for an underserved community in Honduras.
• Feveloping portable solar-powered backpacks for educators and students in Ukraine.
• Producing 3D-printed prosthetic limbs for amputees in Central and South America.
• Launching an electric vehicle engineering program that introduces students to advanced manufacturing and sustainable transportation technologies.
Brian Copes
Copes, an internationally recognized educator with more than 30 years of experience, is widely known for pioneering humanitarian engineering initiatives that enable students to apply technical skills to improve lives around the world. His work has earned national and international recognition, including People magazine Teacher of the Year honors and selection as a Global Teacher Prize finalist, school officials said.
“I’ve always believed students are capable of far more than we often ask of them,” Copes said. “When young people are given meaningful challenges and the opportunity to apply their knowledge to help others, they learn that education has the power to change lives. That’s the kind of learning we’re excited to bring to Babcock Schools.”
Jerry Webb
Webb, an award-winning Career and Technical Education educator and founder of the nationally recognized Next Generation Sustainable Living program, has spent nearly three decades developing innovative engineering programs that connect classroom learning with industry and community needs, the announcement states.
“Project-based learning gives students a reason to learn because they can immediately see how the knowledge applies to the world around them,” Webb said. “Whether students are designing renewable energy systems or solving challenges for communities around the globe, they’re building the technical skills, creativity and confidence they’ll carry well beyond their school years.”
Shannon Treece, executive director of Babcock Schools, said the school’s core belief is that education should inspire curiosity, innovation and purpose.
Shannon Treece, principal of Babcock Ranch Neighborhood School.
“Brian and Jerry represent the very best in project-based learning, and their vision aligns perfectly with our commitment to prepare students for successful careers, as well as to become thoughtful leaders capable of solving real-world challenges,” Treece stated. “Their arrival marks an exciting new chapter for our schools and for the future of education at Babcock Ranch.”
Learn more at Babcock’s schools at BabcockNeighborhoodSchools.org.

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