This is the fourth year that alliantgroup has partnered with the Houston Independent School District to award phenomenal elementary science teachers. Because these teachers ignite a passion for learning and curiosity for STEM subjects, the annual alliantgroup HISD Elementary Science Teacher Award has been renamed the SPARK Award.
This year’s SPARK Award winner is Leticia Sifuentes who is a fifth-grade science teacher at Bonner Elementary School. Even though Leticia has been teaching at Bonner Elementary School for just one year, she is a veteran in the classroom with 24 years of experience. Her favorite part of teaching is helping her students look for “the science” in their everyday lives. Sifuentes also credits her own fifth grade teacher for inspiring her to become an educator. And, her name may sound familiar because Leticia Sifuentes was our “honorable mention” teacher in 2019.
“I am so excited to have won this award, especially with the company I was in. They are all fabulous teachers. I am extremely honored to have won this award for my students because they are the reason I am here,” shared Sifuentes.
Ms. Sifuentes and the following teachers were honored at a luncheon hosted at alliantgroup’s Houston headquarters. The event included the final judging to pick this year’s winner and was emcee’d by CW39’s Sharron Melton. The judges included Space Center Houston Board Member Ivan Rodriguez, Univision General Manager Glenn Coleman, FOX26 meteorologist Lena Arango & Fran Crossingham with Slalom.
The other teacher finalists include:
- Melanie Jenkins, 5th grade ESL teacher, Katherine Smith Elementary School
- Ruth Giles, 5th grade science teacher, Cornelius Elementary School
- Mimi Munoz, 5th grade science teacher, Seguin Elementary School
- Gerjuan O’Neal, 5th grade STEM teacher, Mark Twain Elementary School
- Lynell Dillard, 5th grade science teacher, Clemente Martinez Elementary School
The SPARK Award, formerly known as the alliantgroup Elementary Science Teacher Award, was created to reward local teachers who are increasing student achievement and engagement through innovative lesson plans that emphasize both the importance and fun aspects of science. For more information on the 2022 SPARK Award, as well as alliantgroup’s other education initiatives, please visit alliantgroup.com.
About the Author
alliantgroup is a management consulting company with a mission to strengthen American businesses through reinvestment in innovation and job growth. We educate businesses, the industry groups that serve them and the accounting firms that advise them on federal and state credits and incentives that are legislated by our government to keep the U.S. competitive in the global landscape. We are proud to have helped over 20,000 businesses claim more than $16 billion in credits and incentives. alliantgroup is headquartered in Houston, Texas with additional offices located in Austin, Boston, Chicago, Indianapolis, New York, Irvine, Sacramento, Washington, D.C.; and Bristol and London in the U.K.
