Trish Morgan’s Magical, Fantastical Imaginarium: What School Could Be in Hawai’i

JR
Josh Reppun
Dec 19, 2019
accessibility ELL imaginarium innovation Josh Reppun Podcast mentorship profile prosthetics STEM Trish Morgan What School Could Be in Hawai'i

EdTech is all about putting the right tools in the hands of curious, creative kids working on projects that really matter. In this last episode of the What School Could Be in Hawaiʻi podcast (Season 1, Semester 1), educator Trish Morgan takes listeners on a magical mystery tour of her Innovative Invention Imaginarium, a maker space and technology laboratory built with a sizable award from Farmers Insurance, and with the helping hands of her middle school students at Honolulu’s Stevenson Intermediate.

It is not in Trish’s DNA to see limits; she apparently fears nothing and sees each waking minute in and out of school as another opportunity to guide, coach and mentor young people towards the better angels of their nature.

Her kids are making many things: Most notably, at least this year, they are making prosthetic and accessibility devices for real clients. Yes, fingers for a classmate born without them; a bionic hand for a school alum who fell victim to necrotizing faciitis (flesh-eating bacteria); a wearable, all-purpose sensor for a young woman who lost her sight.

Trish, in her resume, describes herself as an “Innovative, hands-on, and compassionate educator, offering fourteen years of experience in teaching, counseling, professional development, and teacher leadership. Highly qualified English Language Learner (ELL) and Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) teacher, with proven expertise in leading students toward academic and personal excellence. Equipped with outstanding ability to make learning accessible to all students through differentiated teaching strategies, positive encouragement, and individualized support.”

In terms of awards and grants, we know this about Trish: 100K Farmers Insurance Dream Big Teachers Challenge National Grant: 2017, Lex Brodie’s Above and Beyond Award: 2019, Hawaiʻi Society for Technology in Education, Making It Happen Award: State of California $10K Best Buy Teach Grant.

Trish is from California, where she got her Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies from California State University in Hayward (she graduated cum laude). To learn more about her Imaginarium, Google Trish Morgan; she has been in the news – TV and print – in Hawaiʻi, a lot.

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