HUNTER, N.D. (VCSU) – Northern Cass Elementary School second-grade educator and VCSU alum Jessica Stoen received a sweet Valentine’s Day surprise in the form of a Milken Educator Award! on Friday, February 14th during an all school assembly. The prestigious, national honor includes an unrestricted $25,000 cash prize Stoen can use however she chooses.
Hailed as the “Oscar of Teaching,” the Milken Educator Award was created by philanthropist and education visionary Lowell Milken in 1987 to further excellence in education and inspire the next generation of educators. Stoen is the only recipient in North Dakota this 2024-25 season and the first-ever in the Northern Cass School District’s history.
Stoen is a 2010 graduate of Valley City State University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education. She later earned a Master of Education in educational administration in 2017 from North Dakota State University.
“Jessica Stoen’s creative and personalized approach to teaching creates a profound, positive impact on her students, their families and her colleagues in and beyond her school community,” said Milken Educator Awards Vice President Jennifer Fuller, who is a 2017 Texas Milken Educator herself. “Jessica’s unwavering dedication to education is evident in the enriching, engaging learning experiences she crafts for her students, as well as her relentless commitment to professional growth for both herself and her peers. Congratulations, Jessica, and welcome to the Milken Educator Network!”
Stoen was honored as part of the Milken Family Foundation’s 2024-25 Milken Educator Awards season. The tour will honor up to 45 pioneering professionals coast to coast, marking the 3,000th Milken Educator in the Awards’ ranks and celebrating a history of changing lives in communities across America. Since the presentation of the first Awards in 1987, more than $75 million in individual cash prizes and over $145 million have been invested in the Milken Educator Award national network overall, empowering recipients to “Celebrate, Elevate, and Activate” the K-12 profession and encouraging young, capable people to consider a career in education.
“It’s fitting that an educator at one of our state’s most outstanding and innovative rural schools is able to win this prestigious award,” said Superintendent Baesler. “Jessica Stoen is a role model and example of teaching excellence for educators everywhere.”
More about Jessica Stoen
A Lasting Positive Impact: Jessica Stoen brings a dynamic, innovative approach to instruction for her second graders at Northern Cass Elementary School. Drawing on her experience as a personalized learning coach, Stoen tailors her teaching strategies to meet each learner’s individual pace and needs, sparking curiosity and confidence in them to thrive. She encourages them to meet high expectations by cultivating a learning center (classroom) environment rooted in whole-brain teaching. Her positive influence is felt well beyond the classroom walls, with former students often returning to visit Stoen before high school graduation. Many credit her early impact for inspiring success in their educational and personal journeys.
Enriching Educational Experiences: Stoen designs collaborative, hands-on lessons that actively engage her learners and build leadership skills. A cornerstone of her instruction is helping to instill in them “Portrait of a Learner” attributes aligned to district goals: accountability, communication, adaptability, learner’s mindset, and leadership. Together, these traits nurture independence in student learning and guide them on a path to future success. In her unit on the water cycle, Stoen partners with local high school students, allowing both groups to share their insights and collaborate in an annual, interactive and highly memorable science day. The day culminates in an energetic song and dance led by the second graders, reinforcing the concepts learned and fostering community across age groups. She also actively participates in House Color, a school-wide initiative that promotes collaboration and exciting learning opportunities across grade levels.
Inspiring Leadership: A respected leader within her school district and broader community, Stoen was instrumental in the district’s transformation to personalized, competency-based learning and regularly invites other colleagues into her classroom to see the practice in action. In this space, staff members are encouraged to exchange best practices and resources for increasing student learning and advancing their professional skills. Further building educator efficacy and morale, Stoen mentors new educators, inspires future educators, participates in professional development opportunities, and presents to colleagues at the elementary, middle and high school levels. She has co-led the personalized competency-based learning team and has participated in the Northern Cass Leadership Academy with North Dakota State University and as the lead evaluator for the ELA curriculum team.
The Milken Educator Award Reaps Lifelong Benefits
- The $25,000 cash Award is unrestricted. Recipients have used the money in diverse ways. Some recipients have spent the funds on their children’s or their own continuing education, financing dream field trips, establishing scholarships, and even adopting children.
- Honorees receive powerful mentorship opportunities for expanded leadership roles that strengthen education practice and policy. Milken Friends Forever (MFF) pairs a new recipient with a veteran Milken Educator mentor; the Expanding MFF Resource and Explorer Program fosters individual veteran Milken Educator partnerships around specific topic areas; and Activating Milken Educators promotes group collaboration in and across states to bring solutions to pressing educational needs.
- The honorees attend an all-expenses-paid Milken Educator Awards Forum in Los Angeles in April 2025, where they will network with their new colleagues as well as veteran Milken Educators and other education leaders about how to broaden their impact on K-12 education.
- Veteran Milken Educators demonstrate a wide range of leadership roles at state, national and international levels.
Visit MilkenEducatorAwards.org or call the Milken Family Foundation at (310) 570-4772 for more information.