Cold Lake Junior High STEM teacher Hannah Ludlage has been named a 2025 Inspiring Educator by the TELUS World of Science — one of only three teachers in Alberta to receive the honour this year. The award includes a ,000 classroom grant and a whole field trip experience for her students, recognizing a young educator already making a remarkable impact.

Ludlage grew up in Elk Point, a community that shaped both her childhood and her love of learning. She often reflects on how her former science teacher at F.G. Miller Jr/Sr High School helped set her on this path. That teacher, Mrs Richer, turned science into something exciting and accessible, creating a classroom where questions were not just welcomed but encouraged. That spirit — curiosity first, confidence follows — now lives at the heart of Ludlage’s own teaching.

In her classroom at Cold Lake Junior High, science is something students do, not just read about. Lessons are built around hands-on labs, real-world materials, debates, open-ended questions, and the understanding that mistakes are part of the process. Students dissect, test, measure, compare, and challenge their own ideas. It’s a “learning by doing” environment that invites every student to see themselves as a scientist.

The award also highlights the importance of strong STEM education in rural Alberta. For Ludlage, it’s recognition not only of her professional growth but also of the effort her students bring to the room every day. She sees the award as an opportunity to expand what’s possible for them.

The grant will allow her to bring in both consumable and long-term resources — everything from owl pellets, soil kits, plant samples, and pH tests to rock and mineral collections, hydroponic systems, microscope slides, and solar system models. She also hopes to add more precise tools, such as digital scales and thermometers, to support deeper scientific investigations.

A future field trip to the TELUS World of Science will give her students the chance to connect their classroom learning to hands-on exhibits and fundamental scientific concepts, inspiring interests that may shape future studies or careers.

At the heart of Ludlage’s approach is a simple philosophy: classrooms should be places of wonder. Curiosity grows when students feel safe to explore, try, fail, and try again. She believes teachers don’t need elaborate equipment to spark that spark — just good questions, openness, and enthusiasm that students can feel and follow.

From Elk Point roots to shaping young scientists in Cold Lake, Ludlage’s recognition is a proud moment for both communities — and a reminder of how one great teacher can inspire the next.