The Florida Center for Research in STEM (FCR-STEM) at Florida State University has awarded its first-ever Innovating Teacher of the Year award to honor Anna Prindle, a fifth-grade teacher at Holley-Navarre Intermediate School.
With more than 20 years of educational experience, Prindle has earned multiple Teacher of the Year awards and has provided opportunities for students at Holley-Navarre in robotics, coding, 3D printing and other STEM activities that would not have been possible without her securing major STEM grants.
The award was presented to Prindle Thursday, May 14, at Holley-Navarre Intermediate School.
"We are thrilled to be honoring Anna Prindle with the first-ever FCR-STEM Innovating Teacher of the Year award," said Rabieh Razzouk, director of FSU's Learning Systems Institute, which is home to FCR-STEM. "By connecting complex STEM concepts to hands-on experiences, familiar contexts and student-driven inquiry, Ms. Prindle is allowing all learners to engage with confidence and curiosity and excel. She has transformed STEM education into an accessible, interdisciplinary and community-connected experience that prepares students for real-world problem solving, setting an example for the future of STEM education in Florida."
Prindle's work is built on a foundation of professional experiences across multiple states, virtual learning environments and international teaching in Japan. These experiences have shaped her ability to design inclusive, adaptableand forward-thinking STEM opportunities that meet the needs of all learners by incorporating emerging technologies, community partnerships and real-world problem solving.
She has improved her students' measurable performance while blending science, technology, engineering and mathematics with literacy, creativity and career awareness.
"The academic impact of her work is evident," said Holley-Navarre Intermediate Principal Ann Thomas. "Her students consistently demonstrate growth in science and mathematics, with math exceeding district and state averages. What stands out even more is the confidence students develop as learners. Students who once struggled with math or science begin to take risks, explain their thinking and work through challenging problems with persistence."
Prindle's impactful work includes the project "From Code to Creatures," in which students move from coding Ozobots to designing food webs, 3D-printing ecosystem animals and applying algebraic reasoning to their own creations. This project blends computer science, life science and mathematics while emphasizing problem solving, collaboration and creativity. Students not only learn standards but also apply them in meaningful, tangible ways that mirror real-world STEM applications.
Her work on the Uniquely Human Grant transforms the study of human body systems into an immersive investigation using microscopes, stethoscopes and 3D modeling. Students collect and analyze data, design models and connect scientific understanding to personal identity, demonstrating how innovation can deepen both academic learning and student engagement.
Beyond the classroom, Prindle's leadership expands STEM learning across the entire school community. As the leader of the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) Committee, she has grown STEAMNight into an event serving over 450 participants and 170 families, creating access to hands-on STEM experiences beyond the school day. She also launched a schoolwide industry panel during Manufacturing Month in conjunction with STEAM Night, connecting students with professionals from organizations such as GE Vernova and the Doolittle Institute. These experiences bridge classroom learning with future STEM careers, preparing students for the 21st-century workforce. Additionally, her leadership of One School, One Project, engages nearly 700 students across 35 classrooms in engineering design challenges, fostering collaboration, innovation and shared problem solving at a schoolwide level.
"Ms. Prindle models how innovation is not a single lesson but its own culture," said Santa Rosa County District Schools Coordinator of STEAM Michael Knowlton. "Her work bridges families, community partners and educators, strengthening the STEM ecosystem for all students. She exemplifies what it means to transform STEM education through creativity, leadership and sustained, measurable impact on students, teachers and the broader community. She consistently creates STEM experiences that are both rigorous and deeply engaging for all learners."
Prindle's impact has been recognized through honors including Holley-Navarre Intermediate School Teacher of the Year (2026-2027) and the Air and Space Forces Association Hurlburt Field Elementary Teacher of the Year (2025),and she has been selected to attend Educators Space Camp this summer. She has also served as a facilitator for other educators as part of FSU's InSPIRE initiative in the Northwest Florida Gulf Coast.
