Cody Enterprise:
Pierce Baugh V, Reporter pierce@codyenterprise.com
August 17th
Sarah Magargal, a computer science and STEM teacher at Eastside Elementary School, has received recognition from the Wyoming Department of Education Superintendent’s Update for her leadership in integrating learning with real-world career opportunities.
Magargal, a 1994 Cody High School graduate, coordinates Eastside’s Career Connections initiative, an extension of Gov. Mark Gordon’s Reimagining and Innovating the Delivery of Education (RIDE) Initiative. The initiative aims to bridge classroom instruction directly with career purpose and student choice. Last school year, Magargal planned and led 18 hands-on career exploration visits involving local professionals and business partners.
“Reimagining is that part... where we’re making students realize what the purpose of school is,” she said. “It makes it career-driven, and students get to have more choice in their learning. We want students to get excited about education again.”
“Ms. Magargal is leading active learning and real-world learning applications at Eastside Elementary,” Smith said. “She is an exemplar of our Park 6 Purpose Statement: blending skills and resilience for life into the Wyoming State Learning Standards.”
Through funding tied to RIDE initiative, Magargal has outfitted her classroom with specialized equipment aligned to real-world industries. Her purchases range from Cricut vinyl cutters, 3D printers and a GlowForge laser cutter to medical training tools, including veterinary CPR models and IV training aids.
When guest presenters visit the school, they provide a brief overview of their fields before leading interactive, standards-based Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) activities. Past guest presenters have included pulmonologists, emergency medical service technicians, physical therapists, cardiologists, and local law enforcement officers, who taught students about fingerprint analysis.
“I search up the activity,” Magargal explained. “I think about, ‘What is the standard in their classroom for reading or for math?’ The majority of the activities are incorporating all of the core subjects. So when the speakers come and do their activity, it’s got purpose and a lot of thought behind it. (The students) see how reading, math and science are used in the real world.”
Magargal noted that the momentum surrounding career-driven education has expanded throughout Eastside Elementary. Kindergarten students now engage with guest readers sharing career-themed books, fourth graders create local business podcast advertisements, and fifth graders partner with search and rescue teams.
Her dedication to inspiring young learners stems from her own experiences growing up in Cody. Magargal credited her third-grade teacher, Donna McJunkin, as her primary inspiration for entering the field.
“In third grade, that’s the time when school really becomes noticeable if you struggle,” Magargal recalled. “I had Mrs. McJunkin, and I just remember her embracing me. Something she did sparked me as a learner, and I finally started doing well in the classroom. That’s who I want to be – I want to embrace that and spark that learning in kids.”
Looking ahead to the upcoming academic year, Magargal plans to expand the Career Connections lineup with visits from local 3D-printing professionals, regional health care partners and local entrepreneurs.
“Getting this recognition right before school starts puts that passion right back in,” Magargal said. “I’m just really excited to go back to school, get some new careers in the classroom and spark that excitement for our students.”