Pascale Pinner

Professional Title
Dr. Pascale Creek Pinner
Organization/Institution
About Me (Bio)
Over the last 35 years, Dr. Pinner has taught Earth & Space science to 8th grade Hilo Intermediate School students on the Big Island of Hawaii. Pascale has also taught math, writing in the content areas, health, and directed the school’s Gifted and Talented program. As a science methods lecturer for 4 years at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, Pascale was also able to share her passion for teaching with pre-service educators.
Dr. Pinner has procured numerous grants, including a large Math/Science Partnership (MSP) Title IIb grant where her services as the Curriculum Coordinator/Co-Principal Investigator impacted over 1500 students. Pascale developed the Teacher-to-Teacher (T2T) professional development model in science while working with 43 teachers in grades K-6.
Over the last four years, funding from grants and participating schools has allowed Dr. Pinner to continue developing Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) curricula. Currently, Pascale works with 54 elementary teachers in grades 3-6 to implement hands-on NGSS-aligned lessons to over 2100 students on the east side of Hawaii island. Most recently, Dr. Pinner in partnership with the Hawaii Science & Technology Museum has received funding from a NSF Discovery Research K-12 Partnership grant proposal.
Pascale began her career by earning a B.A. in Biology and a Secondary Teaching Certificate from University of Hawaii at Hilo. A Professional Certificate in Secondary Education and National Board Certification in Early Adolescent Science followed these degrees. Dr. Pinner completed her PhD in Educational/Teacher Leadership from Concordia University Chicago in 2012.
Dr. Pinner currently serves as the President of the Hawaii Science & Technology Museum Executive Board. Pascale has received many awards including the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math & Science Teaching and the Hawaii State Teacher of the Year (HI-STOY 2008). Most recently, Dr. Pinner completed the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship in the Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists in the Department of Energy’s Office of Science. Pascale has published and presented at a number of regional, national, and international conferences, where she continues to share her enthusiasm for all things science and STEM.
Hawaii Science and Technology Museum
09/01/2024

One of the best ways to help K-12 students learn science is by having them engage in the scientific inquiry and engineering design processes used by STEM professionals. Unfortunately, support for the development of high-quality, place-based, and NGSS-aligned learning experiences that actively engage students has not been forthcoming in all school districts. This gap is particularly true for rural schools and communities. Further, continuing education for teachers, which is essential to assure successful implementation of high-quality science lessons that are grounded in students' local community experiences, is lacking as well. This partnership development project addresses these gaps in science teaching and learning by deepening an existing partnership among local non-profit community education organizations, K-12 public schools, and local university partners. In consultation with new education technology industry partners, the project team will work collaboratively to develop high-quality NGSS-aligned science learning opportunities that actively engage students in lessons relevant to their local environment.