Excellence In Education - Chad Donahue - 4/23/24

The Michigan Lottery has played a big role in funding education in our state, which is why it has teamed up with FOX 47 News to recognize excellent educators state-wide.

Chad Donahue, a science teacher at Gladwin High School is this week's Michigan Lottery Excellence in Education award winner.

Donahue was nominated for the award by a student.

“Mr. Donahue is the epitome of an engaging teacher. He teaches his botany students how to take care of plants by having them run a greenhouse and then selling their plants to the community in the spring. Zoology gets into the local rivers looking for crayfish. He teaches students how to collect sap and make maple syrup before culminating with a pancake breakfast. Mr. Donahue is one of the very few high school teachers that I have never heard complaints about. He treats every student with the utmost respect both in and out of school. In my many years as a student, parent, and educator, I have seen very few teachers that measure up to Chad Donahue.”

Donahue says it’s important to give his students real-world applications for science.

“I try to give students real world applications for science. We don’t just learn mitosis; we learn about cancer. We don’t just learn about genetics; we learn about our families and pets. We do real science and real activities so students can take pride in their work and have tools to help them in life whether they go into a scientific field or not. No one asks: ‘When will we ever use this?’ because they experience what we are learning impacting their day-to-day lives.”

Chad Donahue was recognized with a $2,000 check from the Michigan Lottery!

Click here to watch the full interview

Want to see more Excellent Educators? Visit the FOX47News Website .

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