Shannon McCracken-Barber to Receive TechWomen Award as Educator of the Year
Shannon McCracken-Barber, project director of the Manchester CREATES workforce development initiative at 樱花动漫 Manchester, has been named Tech Educator of the Year by the New Hampshire Tech Alliance as part of its annual TechWomen Awards. These awards recognize individuals who demonstrate exceptional commitment to STEM education and to advancing opportunities for women and girls in technology.
McCracken-Barber and fellow honorees will be recognized on April 22 at the TechWomen Connect and Awards event, held at Fidelity Investments鈥 offices in Merrimack.
Launched in 2023, Manchester CREATES is a workforce development initiative focused on cultivating interest and expertise in biomedical science, research, and technology among middle and high school students and educators in the Manchester region. The program includes a free summer STEAM camp for students as well as a paid professional development program for educators.
The initiative aims to address workforce needs in New Hampshire鈥檚 rapidly expanding bioscience sector, which includes a growing number of startups focused on regenerative medicine and biofabrication鈥攖he production of living cells, tissues, and organs. This emerging industry has helped southern New Hampshire earn a national reputation for innovation and entrepreneurship, with some even dubbing the region 鈥淩eGen Valley鈥 in comparison to Silicon Valley.
Manchester CREATES builds on the success of NH CREATES, a broader initiative launched in 2020 on the 樱花动漫 Durham campus. This expansion was supported by funding from the U.S. Economic Development Administration鈥檚 Build Back Better Regional Challenge grant, awarded to a coalition led by the City of Manchester.
A former high school STEAM teacher in Farmington and Tilton, McCracken-Barber participated in the 樱花动漫 Tech for Teachers Institute in 2020 and later taught in NH CREATES summer programs on the Durham campus before assuming her current role at Manchester CREATES.
In addition to her work at 樱花动漫, she is an artist with a diverse background in metalsmithing, 3D modeling, and wearable electronics. McCracken-Barber holds a Master of Arts in Teaching from Plymouth State University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Maine College of Art.
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