Press release from the Highline School District
Beverly Mowrer, a teacher at Highline’s New Start program, is one of eight teachers in the state to receive this year’s Golden Apple Award from KCTS 9, Seattle’s PBS television affiliate.

Mowrer is known for her innovative approach to teaching and her ability to rally the community around her students. She identifies and works with students' individual needs—everything from transportation to clothing to study skills. She goes after resources for her students no matter how much time and effort it takes.

The New Start program is an alternative for students who have been out of school for extended periods of time or who don’t thrive in a standard high school environment.

Mowrer often develops unique and engaging learning opportunities for students, such as taking students sailing aboard the schooner Adventuress. Students who have never been on a boat before are exposed to navigation and other science-based skills. "That experience has such a powerful impact on our students. It is just amazing to see the transformation," says Mowrer.

Last spring, Mowrer and her students received the King County Earth Hero Award for their science project removing invasive plants and restoring native plants at Salmon Creek Park and Salmon Creek Ravine.

Mowrer also received the 2010 Gold Star Award for Outstanding Teacher from the Highline Schools Foundation for Excellence.

The Golden Apple Awards honors successful teaching models and programs among Washington state educators. Awards recipients are featured in a TV special that will air on public television stations across the state.