3 RI teachers surprised with STEAM Educator Awards

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Three Rhode Island teachers have been recognized for sparking curiosity and creativity in their students through innovative and engaging lessons.

The R.I. Department of Education (RIDE) and the STEAM Center at Rhode Island College surprised the recipients of the 2025 RI STEAM Educator Awards on Tuesday. The annual awards honor educators who integrate Science, Technology, Engineering, Art + Design, and Mathematics into their classrooms.

This year’s honorees are Tiffany Risch of Coventry High School, Christopher Colson of Goff Middle School in Pawtucket and Erin Giuliano of Park Elementary School in Warwick.

Each educator received a $1,000 classroom grant and a $500 personal award, which were funded by the PPL Foundation and Rhode Island Energy.

According to RIDE, the awards are presented in memory of Carol Giuriceo, who served as the STEAM Center’s director for nearly a decade.

Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green attended Tuesday’s presentation to congratulate the elementary division’s recipient. Giuliano said it is a key personal priority to bring every element of STEAM into her second-grade classroom.

“We work on teamwork, perseverance, trying to act like engineers and solve problems,” Giuliano said. “It’s definitely a highlight of what I do as an educator and it teaches them so much I’ve seen them grow and learn so much from the activities we do.”

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