One DeKalb County School District (DCSD) elementary teacher has been recognized by a world-renowned company for her commitment to hands-on learning, student achievement, and enabling success.

Oakcliff Traditional Theme School teacher Nancy Balaun was recently named a Master Educator by LEGO Education. Balaun is one of 110 chosen throughout the United States for embodying LEGO Education’s mission of enabling success for all students through hands-on learning experiences.

Balaun applied to the program, which is designed to build a cohort for educators ranging from pre-Kindergarten to fifth grade, during the 2017-2018 school year. She is one of five educators from Georgia to be chosen and the only educator to be selected from the metro Atlanta area.

Balaun is a former Spruill Center for the Arts pottery instructor and IBM worker who became a teacher in 2004 after the birth of her son. She holds a graduate teaching degree from Mercer University.

As a Master Educator, Balaun—now the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) lead at Oakcliff—will have access to like-minded educators through a LEGO Education cohort, special offers from LEGO Education, STEM-oriented events, and national recognition.

LEGO Education provides hands-on, playful learning tools designed to engage students’ natural curiosity and develop problem-solving skills. Such tools in DCSD include the FIRST LEGO League, which features multiple robot-based competitions throughout the school year, as well as LEGO robot-based instruction programs.

“Shining a spotlight on the good work of educators and sharing best practices from classrooms across the country are top priorities for LEGO Education,” said Silver McDonald, head of LEGO Education North America.