In Support of Teachers
Pictured: a teacher at Lake Agassiz Elementary in her classroom. Credit: UND.
UND has offered degrees in teacher education since its founding in 1883 – meaning we’ve been producing and supporting teachers in North Dakota before North Dakota was even a state! (That came six years later.) The point is that we love teachers and always will. This post is dedicated to the professionals who show up every day in their classrooms to nurture the hearts and minds of their young students.
CEHD pays tribute to outstanding individual teachers and the teaching profession
For Teacher Appreciation Week 2026, members of the college staff visited area K-12 schools to drop off thank-you cards and pens as gifts for local teachers. The pens are unique and display a different motivational message with every click. This small gesture of appreciation was given to honor professionals who give so much to our children and our community.
CEHD celebrates teachers and teacher education all year long. From creating education modules and events for the next generation of teachers currently in K-12 settings, to Draft Day events celebrating student teaching placements, to continuing education events for regional teachers, CEHD is steadfastly in support of teachers and schools.
North Dakota Teacher of the Year
CEHD salutes Frannie Tunseth, a doctoral candidate in UND’s Teaching & Leadership program, who was named the 2026 North Dakota Teacher of the Year. Tunseth, who earned both her B.S. in Elementary Education with a minor in Special Education and her M.Ed. at the University of North Dakota, currently serves as a reading and mathematics teacher at Mayville-Portland-Clifford-Galesburg (May-Port CG) School in Mayville, N.D.
Celebrating STEM Champions
In addition to teacher education academic programs and local events, college faculty are involved in grant-funded research to support and empower teachers in North Dakota and beyond. STEM STRONG, headed by CEHD professor Dr. Ryan Summers, provides professional learning and STEM supports to elementary-level teachers in four states: North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, and California. Recently, several STEM STRONG teachers won state-level competitions in the 2026 Presidential AI Challenge!
Congratulations to the following winners by state:
- North Dakota: Seleena Briones
- Montana: Tami Redinger
- Wyoming: Teresa Merager and Greer Clark
Finally, it’s an indisputable fact that no one would be where they are today without the positive impact of at least one teacher. Regardless of college major, career, place of origin, etc., everyone has had that person in their life who taught them, nurtured them, believed in them, and inspired them to follow their dreams.
To every teacher reading this: thank you. And to every non-teacher reading this: thank a teacher. 📖🍎
