Lago Vista Middle School Science Teacher Awarded PEC Educational Spotlight Grant

Lago Vista Middle School science teacher Angela Drake has been awarded a Pedernales Electric Cooperative (PEC) Educational Spotlight Grant to expand hands-on learning opportunities in her classroom. The funding will help Drake introduce new ways for students to explore challenging science concepts, turning lessons about force and motion into interactive experiences that encourage curiosity, experimentation, and problem-solving.

PEC representatives visited Lago Vista Middle School to surprise Drake and her students with the award in person, celebrating her commitment to creating engaging and meaningful learning experiences.

Bringing Science TEKS to Life Through Hands-On Learning

With funding from the PEC Educational Spotlight Grant, Drake will purchase wireless sensor carts that allow students to collect and analyze digital data on force, motion, and acceleration. The grant will also provide materials for an engineering design challenge in which students will work together to design, build, and test protective bumpers or barriers.

These activities will give students opportunities to apply scientific concepts to real-world situations while developing teamwork, creativity, and critical thinking skills. The equipment can also be reused in future school years, extending the grant's impact beyond Drake's current students.

The project supports the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for middle school science, particularly the standards addressing force, motion, and energy. These concepts are also assessed through the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) science assessment.

For Drake, strengthening students' understanding of these concepts has become a priority after reviewing previous STAAR results.

"According to our STAAR data, Force and Motion has consistently been one of our lowest-performing areas in science," Drake explained. "We are trying to provide students with a variety of hands-on learning experiences to help them better understand these concepts."

By providing opportunities to observe, measure, and experiment with scientific principles, Drake hopes to help students build a stronger foundation in these challenging areas of the science curriculum.

About the PEC Educational Spotlight Grant

The PEC Educational Spotlight Grant recognizes educators who are developing creative approaches to classroom learning. Through the program, eligible K–8 teachers can receive grants of $500 or $1,000 to fund classroom projects that enhance student learning and engagement.

Funded through voluntary contributions from PEC members participating in the cooperative's Power of Change Program, the grants are awarded through a competitive application process. Projects are evaluated on factors including student impact, demonstrated classroom need, innovation, implementation planning, and budget effectiveness.

PEC anticipates awarding approximately 15 grants annually, totaling up to $10,000, to qualifying classrooms within its service area and surrounding communities.

The program also works with local education foundations to help fund selected classroom projects, connecting educators with additional opportunities to bring their ideas to life.

Building on Previous Education Foundation Support

Drake's latest award builds on a teacher grant she received earlier in 2026 from the Lago Vista ISD Education Foundation, which funded traditional force and motion kits featuring tracks, carts, and laboratory equipment.

That initial grant gave students opportunities to investigate concepts such as speed, acceleration, friction, and Newton's Laws through hands-on experiments. The new PEC-funded wireless sensor carts will complement those materials by allowing students to collect and analyze digital measurements and apply their findings to engineering design challenges.

Although the two grants fund different equipment, both projects share a common goal: improving student understanding of force and motion through engaging, TEKS-aligned science instruction.

Drake's efforts were informed by previous STAAR performance data, which identified force and motion as an area where students would benefit from additional instructional support. Rather than relying on a single approach, she has pursued multiple funding opportunities to introduce different types of investigations and give students more ways to understand and apply these concepts.

Strengthening Science Education at Lago Vista Middle School

Drake's achievement reflects the dedication of Lago Vista ISD educators who continually seek new ways to help their students succeed. By identifying classroom needs and pursuing innovative solutions, teachers like Drake are creating learning experiences that can make a lasting difference.

The Lago Vista ISD Education Foundation is proud to have helped facilitate Drake's application and congratulates her on this well-deserved recognition.

A special thank you to Pedernales Electric Cooperative for investing in local education and taking the time to celebrate Drake and her students in person.