Two Shaler Area teachers named 2017-18 Jefferson Award recipients
Shaler Area School District is proud to announce Jim and Julie McDermott have been chosen as 2017-18 Jefferson Award recipients.
The Jefferson Awards Foundation, sponsored locally by Highmark and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, is part of a national volunteer recognition program founded in 1972 by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, U.S. Senator Robert Taft Jr. and Sam Beard. The award honors individuals for their achievements and contributions through public and community service.
The McDermotts, both Shaler Area teachers, have volunteered their time for the past 10 years to run the Shaler Adaptive Aquatics for Health (SAAH) program in the school district and community. SAAH provides students with special needs the opportunity to learn to swim and socialize with their peers. SAAH pairs participants with one-on-one, hands-on volunteers who work with them to master a different skill each lesson. Lessons run year-round using the pool at Shaler Area Elementary School and Shaler Township’s Crawford Pool in Kiwanis Park in the summer.
The McDermotts work to create a close relationship with the SAAH participants, families, and volunteers and plan group activities throughout the year, including picnics, hayrides, and holiday parties to foster those relationships out of the water as well.
As one of this year’s 25 Pittsburgh Regional Jefferson Award winners, the McDermotts will be recognized during a special ceremony this spring and honored with a bronze medallion, commissioned by the Franklin Mint.
Jim McDermott is a social studies teacher at Shaler Area High School, and Julie McDermott is a teacher at Shaler Area Elementary School.