Tag Archives: Candace Printz

El Dorado High School art teacher Candace Printz and her students are once again spending Saturday mornings collecting trash in the El Paso desert as part of the It’s Your World community recycle and art project.

Candace Printz, a visual arts teacher at El Dorado High School, was awarded a grant by the National Society of High School Scholars’ to enhance the delivery of International Baccalaureate courses for the 2017-2018 school year.

“My students and I want to make a difference in our community by cleaning up the land, educating adults and children alike about the decisions they make, and raising awareness about our local non-profits,” Printz said. “We are doing this by cleaning up four miles of land, inviting local non-profits and the community to help, and turning the trash into artwork.”

Printz is one of 20 educators from 11 states, and the only one in Texas, to receive the $500 IB grant.

The grant will allow her to sponsor upcycling workshops and teach students, parents, teachers and community members how to create something useful out of discarded materials.

Printz, with the help of her students, pioneered various environmental programs such as the innovative It’s Your World community project and the Metamorphosis Trash to Treasure Art Contest.

“International Baccalaureate teachers are challenging our students to strive for excellence and our organization is pleased to be able to enhance their efforts,” said NSHSS president James Lewis, in a press release.”

Students in the El Dorado International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme are committed to achieving academic success and serving their community in pursuit of obtaining a higher education and becoming active participants in today’s global society.

The Socorro Independent School District celebrated its 46 Campus Teachers of the Year at the district’s 2017 Teacher of the Year Gala on May 13 at the Judson F. Williams Hall in the El Paso Convention Center.

Christina Luna Castaños, from Purple Heart Elementary School, was named the 2017 SISD Elementary Teacher of the Year. Castaños is a fifth-grade English language Arts and Reading teacher and has been an educator for 15 years.

“I’m on top of the world,” Castaños said. “This means I can represent the teachers from our district and represent them well.”

Candace Printz, from El Dorado High School, was named the 2017 SISD Secondary Teacher of the Year. Printz is an art teacher and has been teaching for 12 years.

“I want to do the right thing by representing the district and our teachers,” Printz said. “I feel honored.”

The district elementary and secondary winners will go on to represent SISD in the Region 19 Teacher of Year competition in August.

“For me, I love this night because it is a chance to celebrate our Team SISD teachers,” said Dr. José Espinoza, SISD Superintendent. “They are our HEROES in the classroom!”

More than 1,000 people attended the event, including teachers, principals, family members and other SISD staff. Each school’s Campus Teacher of the Year was recognized at the gala, including those who were selected as Elite 8 finalists.

Telemundo 48 news anchor Karla Mariscal was the master of ceremonies for the gala.

El Dorado High School art teacher Candace Printz was recognized as a top educator in Texas and a 2017 H-E-B Excellence in Education Award finalist on May 7 at a special H-E-B awards ceremony in Austin.

The Socorro Independent School District educator was one of five Texas teachers selected as a finalist in the leadership secondary award category which honors educators for their outstanding dedication and commitment to students.

“I am extremely grateful to be an H-E-B finalist,” Printz said. “There are so many great teachers and amazing mentors in the state, so I’m deeply honored to have received this recognition.”

Earlier this year, Printz was recognized with a cash prize of $1,000 for herself and another $1,000 for her school during a surprise visit by H-E-B representatives and SISD Superintendent Dr. José Espinoza.

“We are extremely proud of Ms. Printz for being selected as a finalist of this prestigious award,” Dr. Espinoza said. “Her work, dedication and passion for students is admirable and truly embodies what our district is about. I commend her for her great work and thank her for being a role model to our children!”

Printz’ was nominated as a finalist for a plethora of accomplishments, including her innovative It’s Your World community project, which aims to collect trash and recyclables in the El Paso area and turn the waste into beautiful art; being the first-ever SISD Wall of Honor recipient in 2016; and being named an SISD campus Teacher of the Year in 2011 and 2017.

The educator plans to continue the project as well as start a non-profit organization with her students to continue creating an environmentally conscious culture in the El Paso community.

“We’ve learned so much this year and I look forward to continue this project by starting a non-profit organization where students who spearheaded the project can be our board members,” she said. “The objective will be to research our city’s laws, make suggestions and educate the community to be more progressive when it comes to recycling.”

This is the second year Printz has been recognized by H-E-B. Last year, she was one of 140 semi-finalists selected for the award out of the more than 1,400 submissions in Texas.

THE H-E-B award was created in 2002 as a way to support public education in Texas and pay tribute to educators who go the extra mile each day to serve their students, communities and inspire others to do the same, according to the H-E-B webpage.