At age 30, Devon Ross has added to her impressive resume by winning the Prime Minister's award for excellence in teaching. One of only 16 teachers nationwide who won this year, she received the award from Prime Minister Stephen Harper May 15. Ross is the only winner from Vancouver.

She teaches junior science, chemistry and geology at Vancouver Technical secondary school on the East Side. The UBC graduate is in her seventh year in the profession. She grew up on the Sunshine Coast, lives in Port Coquitlam and is on the board of directors at H.R. MacMillan Space Centre. She's chair and regional coordinator of the Greater Vancouver Science Fair region and organizes the Vancouver District Science Fair as well as Van Tech's science fair. She coaches volleyball and runs a part-time tutoring business in the Tri Cities area.

Courier: Were you surprised to win the award?

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Devon Ross teaches junior science, chemistry and geology at Vancouver Technical secondary school.

Photo-Dan Toulgoet

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Ross: There are many talented teachers that I know of, so I was honoured to be nominated, but I didn't think I would win. I was completely surprised because I'm only 30. People tell me this is the highest award you can win as a teacher and you only win it once... I didn't think I had much of a shot.

Courier: Why did you become a teacher?

Ross: I'm enthusiastic about learning and it was my dream that my enthusiasm for learning could inspire others to appreciate science and enjoy the world around them more.

Courier: What creative things do you do to teach science?

Ross: I believe in hands-on learning, making learning fun and meaningful by using stories and jokes that incorporate information, lots of lab work and lots of projects so that students can showcase their abilities.

Courier: What's the most unusual thing you've done to get a lesson across?

Ross: I've been known to dress up. I have done several dances to help students learn chemicals or rock processes better; getting up and dancing the different kinds of seismic waves and getting all the students to do that. I do spelling with the periodic table. I put the fluorine, uranium and nitrogen into 'fun'--it's a little joke, but chemistry students get it. I take great pride in being the geekiest person in school.

Courier: Do you think students are intimidated by the sciences?

Ross: Students naturally want to be involved in the sciences. Science is very hands on, so for a lot of learners it makes it a lot easier to understand. You can experiment and work with the materials.

Courier: Are girls becoming more interested?

Ross: I don't see much of a gender difference. Both girls and boys are engaged by science. The boys probably enjoy more of the hands-on work.

Courier: Is there an upswing or a downswing in interest in science?

Ross: Right now we're at an exciting time in science. In space science, we're seeing pictures we've never being able to even comprehend to see. We're on the verge, perhaps, of finding life on other planets. In chemistry and bio-chemistry, we're looking at genomes of the human body and finding out the heart of some of the diseases. So it's a very exciting time in science. I think we're seeing an upswing in interest with all the technology.