A Wayne County educator known for motivating and challenging her students has been honored with an Excellence In Education award from the Michigan Lottery.

The award winner, Diane Fournier, is a social studies teacher at Stevenson Middle School. The school is part of the Wayne-Westland Community Schools.

The Michigan Lottery established the Excellence In Education awards in 2014 to recognize outstanding public-school educators across the state during the school year.

Winners of the weekly award receive a $2,000 cash prize. At the end of the school year, one of the weekly award winners will be selected to receive the Lottery’s Educator of the Year award and will receive a $10,000 cash prize.

Each winner also is featured in a news segment on the Lottery’s media partner stations: WXYZ-TV in Detroit, FOX 17 in Grand Rapids, FOX 47 in Lansing, WNEM-TV in Saginaw, and WWTV-TV in Traverse City. The news segment featuring Fournier will air this evening.

Fournier says she chose to work in education to make the world a better place.

“I wanted to become a teacher because I wanted to work to make the world a better place. Working with students and families and watching them grow and flourish keeps me going.”

Working on projects that help her students connect concepts to the real world is something Fournier particularly enjoys.

“I love working on projects that help students connect what we learn in school to the world outside of school. I enjoy taking them on field trips and helping them learn how to design solutions to real-world problems.”

Fournier was nominated for the award by her principal.

“Diane Fournier has dedicated nearly three decades of her life to shaping the minds and futures of countless young individuals. She has redefined what it means to motivate and challenge young minds. Diane steps outside of her comfort zone on a regular basis, expanding her curriculum to include more hands-on learning and out of classroom experiences where students are able to see the applicable side of what they are learning. Every day she steps into her classroom with an unwavering determination to find innovative ways to engage, empower, and uplift her students. She is self-driven with a thirst for knowledge. She has spent many of her summers volunteering her time to attend conferences and learning academies to stay in the know with the most up to date technology and pedagogical strategies. Her quest for self-improvement sets an example for all of us, showing that the journey of learning never truly ends. Beyond her individual brilliance, this educator’s collaborative spirit shines bright. She understands that the best education is a collective effort, one that involves teachers, students, parents, and the community at large. She worked collectively last year with other teachers, central office s, and community to develop a course that focuses on how to bring innovation into the classroom and truly in the hands of students. For the past ten years I have had the immense privilege of working with this incredible teacher. She is a mentor, a role model, and a friend to all who have had the fortune of crossing her path.”

Fournier earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and a master’s degree from Eastern Michigan University. She has worked in education for 28 years, the last seven in her current position.

Excellence in Education award nominees are evaluated on the following criteria:

• Excellence – Their work consistently helps students and/or their schools or school districts advance to higher levels of academic achievement.
• Dedication – They consistently go above and beyond expectations to help students succeed.
• Inspiration – Their work inspires others around them to exceed expectations either academically or professionally.
• Leadership – They demonstrate clear leadership skills in their positions with their school or school districts.
• Effectiveness – The nominee’s work has clear and positive results on the educational advancement of students within the school or school district.