Flame for Learning Award Goes Carrie Wilkerson Lee, Powhatan Elementary

Carrie Wilkerson Lee, fifth grade teacher at Powhatan Elemntary, was named winner of the Flame for Learning Award last night at the 19t^h annual Flame for Learning Banquet. The event was held at the Agriculture Center on Hwy 210. With this honor comes the title of Johnston County Schools Teacher of the year. Her best practice, "Getting Global" will be posted on the district website along with the other 19 best practices submitted by the twenty semi-finalists.

Ms. Lee is completing her fourth year of teaching in Johnston County Schools, all four years at Powhatan Elementary. She taught in Durham County Public Schools from 2006 until 2008, when she joined the staff at Powhatan. Ms. Lee graduated from Duke University and obtained her masters from NCSU.  She received a cash award of $1000, along with $500 from the JC Education Foundation.  All best practices were judged for innovation, creativity, learning value targeted toward an identified need, and impact on student learning results. Ms. Lee will go on to compete for the North Carolina Teacher of the Year, beginning with regional competition in the fall of 2012.

The three remaining Finalists each received $300. The schools of the winner and finalists each received $250. The remaining 16 semi-finalists received $100 each.

The four Finalists were: 

Carrie Lee Wilkerson, Powhatan Elementary, 2012 Flame for Learning Recipient (Best Practice - listed above)

Joshua Jenkins, McGee's Middle, 6^th grade Language Arts, Best Practice - Vocabulary Integration

Nicole Humphrey, South Johnston High, Social Studies, Best Practice - Empower Hour

Joseph Powell, West Johnston High, Biology, Best Practice - Senior Lab Day

A list of all 20 semi-finalists and their best practices is on the second page of this release.

Semi-finalist group

    Winner - left to right:  Larry Strickland, Board of Education Chair; Carrie Lee, Dr. Ed Croom

    Finalists - left to right: Carrie Lee, Joshua Jenkins, Joseph Powell, Nicole Humphrey

List of semi-finalists can be found below.

2012 Semi-finalists: