Maggie McHugh
National Faculty – North
Maggie believes that all students are creative, compassionate, intellectual learners who, when given the right educational conditions, grow to be insightful, engaged citizens in our society. For Maggie, project based learning lays the foundation for every learner to find success. As the Innovation Specialist at La Crosse Polytechnic, a project based secondary school in La Crosse, WI, Maggie has the honor of exploring the world alongside her students, guiding classes such as STEM, Humanities, Makerspace, and Mathematics.
Maggie specifically leads her students to become agents of change in the community, guiding students in the exploration of societal inequities in order to create solutions for the future. Maggie utilizes a mathematical lens to analyze and enhance these social justice projects. Completing her PhD in Curriculum and Instruction at New Mexico State University, Maggie published her dissertation “Project Based Social Justice Mathematics: A Case Study of Five 6th Grade Students” sharing the journey and transformation of her students.
Maggie is the 2021 Midwest Regional winner of the National University Teacher Award and the Wisconsin Middle School Teacher of the Year for 2019. She received the state honors for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). She has also been awarded the Herb Kohl Teacher Fellowship and Jacobs Educator Award for technology innovation. Maggie has her National Board Certification in early adolescence mathematics.
Maggie’s dedication to empowering all learners is fueled by her “kiddos” who daily remind her of the courage, compassion, and perseverance needed to continuously become a better “you."