Kristin Ryan receives award

Thermopolis Middle School teacher Kristin Ryan was recently awarded a $2,000 Unsung Hero Grant from Voya Financial. The firm awards grants to K-12 educators nationwide in honor of their innovative teaching methods, creative educational projects and ability to positively influence their students.

Ryan's idea, "TMS Living Wax Museum," which was held May 2 at the school, brought history through about 100 seventh and eighth grade students dressed up as national and local historical figures. People who attended the "museum" were able to put money in jars and watch the figures come to life and give a speech.

To prepare, students researched biographies and prepared appropriate costumes along with other items to create a type of backdrop. Ryan said the event went over very well, and its return is planned for the current school year with the hope it will become a new tradition.Ryan also expressed her appreciation to the students, parents and school staff, as it was all of them who helped make the wax museum possible.

As part of the application process, Ryan explained, she had to write what the money would be used for, if awarded. Plans for the $2,000 include purchase of print and online research texts and canvas fabric for backdrops that can be reused.

Ryan is one of only 100 winners across the country who received the $2,000 award. She'll compete with other finalists for one of the top three prizes: $5,000, $10,000 or $25,000. That additional money could help the wax museum project go global, via webcams, essentially bringing international students to our school for a visit with some historical figures.

This is the seventh year Ryan has taught in Thermopolis. She was the Read 180 teacher before transitioning to the sixth grade Language Arts teacher position and now the eighth grade Language Arts teacher, in which she is currently in her second year.

Prior to coming to Thermopolis, she taught pre-kindergarten in West Virginia for a year and Elementary Special Education in South Dakota.