Voyager Public Charter School educator recognized for redesigning campus STEM lab

A Honolulu STEM coordinator and coach at Voyager Public Charter School has received a $2,000 grant from Voya Financial, a provider of retirement plans and educators.

Wrayna Fairchild has received the grant as part of Voya’s 2021 Unsung Heroes awards competition. Fairchild’s science, technology, engineering and mathematics lab is one of 50 winners across the country and will be considered for one of three top awards that comes with an additional $5,000, $10,000 or $25,000 prize.

Voya’s Unsung Heroes program has awarded grants to K-12 educators to “honor their innovative teaching methods, creative educational projects, and their ability to positively influence the children they teach.” It has awarded more than $5.8 million nationwide.

Fairchild’s “Extreme Makeover: STEM Edition” turned the school’s outdated learning space into a “top-notch” STEM lab that “encourages collaboration and gives students the space they need to design innovative solutions to real-world problems.”

“This year, educators like Wrayna Fairchild have had to be particularly innovative to find new and creative ways to reach students to help keep them engaged during challenging times,” said Angela Harrell, Voya’s chief diversity and corporate responsibility officer and president, Voya Foundation, in a statement. “We are proud to support educators across the country as they go above and beyond to ensure they are connecting with their students with innovative approached to learning.”