MAITC Teacher of the Year

2025 MAITC Teacher of the Year

Amanda Ripa

MAITC is excited to announce the 2025 Teacher of the Year, Amanda Ripa from Messalonskee Middle School in Oakland.

Since 2015, Amanda has been committed to growing the school garden program at Messalonskee Middle School and integrating agriculture into her science classroom. When she started the school garden program, there was only a neglected community garden. Since then, Amanda has applied for and been awarded many grants and donations every year for her students to maintain the gardens. Starting with building a hoop house with 8 raised beds, they have since installed an irrigation system, put in a rice paddy with "School Garden Grown" award-winning upland rice, procured a Lowe's toolbox supply shed, and established a pollinator garden. Inside the classroom there are tower gardens, aquaculture, composting, and microgreens. Amanda says, "Gardens keep my classroom alive!"

• Read more

---

Past Winners