Download PDF

Sonja McKay M.Ed., NBCT

Educator, Design Thinker

Education

20032006

M.Ed. Middle Grades Mathematics Education

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

NC Middle Math Project Cohort 

19962000

B.S. Middle Grades Mathematics and Science Education

Appalachian State University

Teaching Fellow, Cum Laude
Watauga Global Community, 1996-1998

HONORS

20182019

L+D Fellow

Leadership+Design

Leadership+Design Fellowship develops educational leaders adept at change management, design thinking, and futurist thinking. 

20132018

The Career Award for Science and Mathematics Teachers

The Burroughs Wellcome Fund

The Career Award for Science and Mathematics Teachers  is a five year grant totaling $175,000. Awarded to increase design thinking and project-based learning (PBL) opportunities for students and teachers in North Carolina. 

2012

Outstanding K-8 Educator Award in Science, Mathematics, Technology Education

North Carolina SMT Education Center

Jointly awarded Outstanding K-8 Educator Award for innovative co-teaching of mathematics using a flipped classroom approach and issues-based PBL. Featured in SMT video

20082010

Kenan Fellow

Kenan Fellows Program for Teacher Leadership

The Kenan Fellows Program  develops teacher leadership and partners fellows with STEM mentors. Published design thinking curriculum used in India and NC.

20052025

National Board Certified Teacher

National Board for Professional Teaching Standards

Certified in the area of Early Adolescence Mathematics. Renewed in 2015. 

2001

Mathematics Rookie Teacher of the Year Award

Guilford County Schools
19962000

Teaching Fellow

North Carolina's Teaching Fellows Program

Four year teacher-leader development scholarship.

Innovation & Leadership

2016Current

PBL Fellows

In partnership with the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences

Co-created PBL Fellows,  an annual professional development experience for project-based learning (PBL). Planned and facilitated workshops and supported teachers with the implementation of PBL in their teaching context.  

20172018

EDEx Educators

EDEx: Education Design Experience

As a founder of EDEx, created EDEx Educators, a yearlong professional development  experience for design thinking. Facilitated workshops and supported teachers with the implementation of design thinking in their teaching context. 

2008Current

Design Thinking

Design Thinking leadership includes modeling and training educators in use of design thinking as a tool to develop creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication skills. Organized PD opportunities for staff resulting in increased use of students applying design thinking from 10% to 100% of students in four years. Created, led, and facilitated design thinking PD for staff at two schools to promote school reform and redesign. Work featured in NAIS  blog entry.

20142015

Explorations Program

The Exploris School

Co-developed and launched the K-5 Explorations program with 59 classes and 200 adult volunteers providing over 2,200 hours in the program's first year. Recruited, trained, and organized volunteers. Taught K-5 engineering design classes. Work featured in NCSU's Philanthropy Journal

20122016

NC DPI STEM School Designation

Led collaborative process to complete school's NC DPI's STEM School of Distinction application earning NC's first Model STEM School status. Created and led school's STEM leadership team, wrote Exploris's annual State of STEM Report. Selected and organized STEM PD for staff to build capacity as STEM school. Accomplishment featured on WRAL evening news and in EdNC article.  Coached three schools/districts on NC DPI's STEM application process. 

20132017

Teacher Advisory Group

NC State University's Design Lab for K-12 Education

Member of the Design Lab's Teacher Advisory Group. Assisted with planning Teacher PD events and framing organizational initiatives.  

Teaching ExperiEnce

2020Current

Academically or Intellectually Gifted (AIG) Teacher

Lucile Hunter AIG/GT Basics Magnet Elementary School
  • Collaboratively manages caseload and educational experiences for over 100 identified AIG students.  
  • Develops and implements programming to nurture academic and intellectual skills and talents in non-identified students. 
  • Teaches electives and enrichment lessons for students in grades 1-5 at a Magnet Schools of America Top 20 Magnet School of Excellence.  
  • Earned AIG Licensure (2021). 
20042020

Second Grade Teacher

The Exploris School
  • Project-based Learning (PBL): Provides collaborative leadership in design and implementation of student-centered, interdisciplinary, issues-driven PBL curriculum focused on state standards, authenticity, student engagement, and community partnerships. Work featured in EdNC article. Examples: 

    • Food Heroes Project: 4th/5th grade issues-based, integrated PBL unit exploring nutrition and healthy food access within our community's urban food desert.  Work featured in four EdNC articles
    • Oakwood Oral History Project: 7th grade service-learning project documenting and editing stories from longtime residents of Raleigh's oldest historic neighborhood. 
  • Design Thinking: Facilitates design thinking projects for students.
  • Holistic Assessment: Implements a growth-oriented assessment model including standards-based grading, student-led portfolios, and student goal setting with reflection.
  • PD Leader: Designs and leads professional development including PLCs, book studies, faculty meetings, workshops, vertical team meetings, and math teacher trainings. 
  • Changemaker: Spearheaded collaborative school-wide efforts to review and improve the school calendar, assessment tools, and advanced mathematics course placement criteria. 
  • Event Planning: Creates, organizes, and hosts schoolwide events and celebrations of learning including "Maker Week", "STEM Night"(450 guests), "Be the Change" showcase (300 guests), school tours, and study visits.
  • Results: Achieved high growth in all subject areas in grades 4-8; including mathematics grades 5 through Math I. 
  • Fiscal Responsibility: Managed over $100,000 in grants.
  • Additional Partnerships: Built and strengthened local and global partnerships to provide students rich global education and service-learning experiences including:
    • Museum docent service-learning program with CAM Raleigh. Partnership featured in Walter magazine article
    • Student and teacher exchange trips to Hiroshima, Japan, and coordinated annual hosting of Japanese sister school delegation.
    • Collaborative student project work with Exploris and schools in Hyderabad, India and Hiroshima, Japan.
20002004

Sixth Grade Mathematics and Science Teacher

John R Kernodle Middle School
  • Created Math Monkey; website of sixth grade students' math adventures. Featured in Greensboro News & Record article and WXII evening news.
  • Organized GLOBE: Soils Workshop and Project Learning Tree Workshop for twelve sixth grade teachers.
  • Organized annual NASA Educator Specialist guest speaker, Team-Building Field Trip and Forestry Field Trip for 325 sixth grade students.
  • Implemented school-wide Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Kindness & Justice Challenge and Pennies for Patients fundraiser (over $5,500 raised).
  • Over $3,400 received for grants supporting implementation of hands-on instruction.
  • Co-founded and co-sponsored 6th grade Girls in Science Club

Workshops Facilitated

  • EDEx Educators Cohort  through EDEx
    6 sessions, September 2017 - May 2018
  • PBL Fellows Cohort  in partnership with the NC Museum of Natural Sciences
    6 sessions, 2016 - 2017;  6 sessions, 2017 - 2018; 6 sessions 2018-2019
  • Designing Powerful PBL  at Dillard Middle School in Goldsboro, NC
    2 days, July 2016 and 1 day, 2017
  • Designing Powerful PBL  at Central Park School for Children in Durham, NC 
    1.5 days, July 2016
  • Applying Design to Challenges in Education  at Charlotte Country Day School in Charlotte, NC 
    2 days, November 2015  - February 2016 
  • Genetics and Our Food Supply in partnership with the NC Museum of Natural Sciences and NC State University's Crop Research Station
    1 day, July 2013, 2014, 2015, & 2016
  • Innovative Mathematics Practices & Intro to PBL at Central Park School for Children in Durham, NC 
    1 day, July 2015
  • Issues-based PBL at The Hunt Library for Exploris School in Raleigh, NC 
    1 day, June 2015
  • Teachers + Tech Tools a PLC at the Exploris School in Raleigh, NC
    4 sessions, January - April 2017 
  • Redesigning Learning Spaces a PLC at the Exploris School in Raleigh, NC
    5 sessions, July  - November 2015
  • NC DPI's STEM Rubric Session Facilitator at STEM East's E2 Summit: Connecting Employers & Educators in Greenville, NC
    1/2 day, April 2016
  • How to Start a Girls in Science Club at the Kathleen Clay Edwards Library in Greensboro, NC Workshop qualified for the NC Environmental Certification Program, Criteria III.
    1 day, April 2005 and July 2005

Conference Presentations

  • Education by Design: Empowering Student Changemakers
         Presented at Hopscotch Design Festival in September 2017. 
  • Students as Changemakers: Empowering Students Through Design Thinking and Service-learning 
         Presented at the Scaling STEM Conference in April 2016. 
  • STEM: Strategies that Engage Minds  
         
    Presented at the International Center for Education Model Schools Conference in July 2015.
  • The Exploris School: Highlights from a Model STEM School
         Presented at the Scaling STEM Conference in April 2015. 
  • STEM Projects, Partnerships, and Assessment
          Presented at the Scaling STEM Conference in April 2014 and April
    2015.
  • Career Development for STEM Teachers
         
    Presented at the Bridging the Gap Conference in October 2014.  
  • NC's STEM School Designation Rubric
         Panel presentation at the Bridging the Gap Conference in October 2014 and Scaling STEM
          in April 2014. 
  • Design Thinking at The Exploris School
         Presented at the RISD Teacher Summer Institute in June 2014.
  • Teacher Ambassador at the IEI Forum: Teachers and the Great Economic Debate in February 2014. 
  • Connecting Communities Through Service-Learning
          Presented at the Scaling STEM Conference in April 2013.
  • The Exploris School: Virtual School Tour
       
      Presented at the Scaling STEM Conference in April 2013.
  • Teacher Perspectives 
          Panel presentation at Many Voices, One Goal: Every North Carolina Child Graduates Ready 
          Conference in March 2011.
  • Building Student Awareness of Local and Global Food Issues 
          Keynote at the World Food Day Celebration held at the NC Legislative Building in October 2011.
  • Price Check: What is the True Cost? (Kenan Fellows Project)
          Presentation at the National Science Teachers Association Area Conference in November
          2009 and a poster presentation at the SMT Awards Dinner in April  2009. 
  • A Day in the Life of a Global School
          
    Presentation at the Worldview K-12 Symposium in October 2007.
  • Zoom In, Zoom Out: A New Perspective on the Metric System and Our Natural World
          Presentation at Furman University's Science, Art, and Literature Education Institute in
          March 2006. 
  • The Need for Engaging Girls in Science
          Keynote speaker at Furman University's Science, Art, and Literature Education Institute
          in March 2006.
  • Differentiation Strategies 
          Presentation at Guilford County's Right Start: Induction for New Teachers in November 2003.
  • Students in Charge: Advisor/Advisee Committees
          Presentation at the North Carolina Middle School Association Conference in March 2002.
  • Beginning Teacher: Questions and Answers
         Presentation at Guilford County's Right Start: Induction for New Teachers in April 2001. 
  • Uncovering the Hidden Persuaders: Media Bias
         Presentation at the North Carolina Middle School Association Conference in March 2001.