Claxton Elementary teacher wins $7,500 for ‘Extreme Classroom Makeover'
CLAXTON, Tenn. (WATE) — Students at Claxton Elementary School will soon have access to a better math and science education thanks to an 'Extreme Classroom Makeover' that is bringing $7,500 worth of new STEM equipment to one teacher's classroom for the school year.
On Thursday, Oak Ridge Associated Universities surprised fourth grade math and science teacher Stormie Adkins.
Earlier this year, ORAU invited teachers and their classes to submit applications for it's annual 'Extreme Classroom Makeover' contest. In what was called a 'potentially precedent setting moment' Thursday, Adkins class won a runner-up award of $5,000 and the viewer's choice award for $2,500.
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Adkins said she was speechless after finding out she won, but ORAU's Jim Sears said the awards were well earned by Adkins and her students.
'This is one of our core ways to really give back to the community and those of us who live near Oak Ridge and really brings so much to the future of East Tennessee and everything that's happening in and around our area here bring that technology and so that we can really develop the workforce of the future to really be able to make some really great things for East Tennessee and Oak Ridge in the future.'
Adkins said one of the things she's looking to purchase for the classroom is a portable box light to allow her to teach her class in the school's outdoor classroom. Getting the students outside and in a different environment than a standard classroom will encourage engagement with STEM, she explained.
'The way that education is going in our whole life with technology and things like that, prepping them for the future and having those skills that can support them in their later careers in life. I think that's huge. And then to get that engagement part up, because I think sometimes they look at the textbook and it's just too much for them. So doing fun activities [and] interactive projects really gets them get going in their minds racing. And so that brings back a passion for education for just them and me,' Adkins said.
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In the video Adkins submitted for the contest, she had her students wright what they wanted to be. While her students may still be a decade away from their future careers, she shared that it's important for students to start working toward their dreams now.
'If you really want to be successful, no matter what path you want to go on, you have to start when you're young, everything builds upon each other, so having that good foundation, having those good leadership skills and and working skills. It's gonna build them up and hopefully support them in future.'
Adkins added that she almost didn't submit the video for the application because she didn't think they had a chance, but she believed in her students and they believed in her, 'and it turned out great.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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