Renee O'Leary
1994 Inductee
Award winning kindergarten teacher Renee Genbauffe O'Leary is a firm believer that "teaching and life should be lived to the fullest, filled with learning and laughter and brimming with love for the world around you."
Renee has spent her entire 42-year teaching career as a kindergarten teacher. She makes science a part of the kindergarten learning experience. Through her Linking Home and School with P.A.S.S. (Portable Affordable Simple Science) program, Renee introduces kindergartners to basic scientific concepts, such as the body's five senses, shapes, colors, water, air, and different forms of matter.
In 1953-54, Renee taught in the Erie County Pennsylvania Day School. From 1954-56, she taught in the West Hempfield Pennsylvania School District. Renee taught in the Wilmington (DE) Public schools from 1956 to 1980. She began teaching kindergarten with the Colonial School District in New Castle, Delaware in 1980. In August, 1994 she resigned from her kindergarten position and began working as an Early Childhood Science Resource Teacher at Caravel Academy in Delaware.
Renee received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1950 from Millersville State College Pennsylvania. She also studied at Temple University, the University of Delaware, the Delaware Teacher Center, and Delaware Department of Public Instruction.
Special Honors
2002 | Chasing Rainbows Award |
2002 | National Invitational Science Olympiad - Judge |
2002 | LYSOL/NSTA Science Challenge Award |
2001 | Millersville Distinguished Alumni of the Year |
2000 | Governors Outstanding Volunteer Award |
1999 | President of Brandy Winers, LTD |
1998 | Delaware Womens Hall of Fame Inductee |
1996 | Selected as a presenter in the Association for Childhood Education International Hall of Excellence |
1995 | Delaware Science Alliance Award for outstanding contributions to science education |
1995 | Included in the US Department of Education book, "Promising Practices in Mathematics and Science" |
1993 | State Farm "Good Neighbor" Award for science teachers |
1993 | Named among the nation's Top 20 kindergarten through 12th-grade science teachers by the American Association for the Advancement of Science |
1993 | Dupont Mini-Grant for her "science in a bag" program |
1992 | Named the 1992 SUPERSTAR! In Education by the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce |
1991 | Christa McAuliffe Fellowship, which included $33,300 in federal money |
1991 | Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching Science |
1982 | Delaware Teacher of the Year |