Ben Garbacz/Daily Mining Gazette Shelby Turnquist, left and Brad Baltensperger pose for photographs at the CCASB Education Awards. Turnquist won the Copper Country Education Leadership Award for her 30 years of service from providing Houghton-Portage Township Schools meals and training the region's food service.

HOUGHTON — The Copper Country Association of School Boards (CCASB) held its 26th annual Education Awards Wednesday in Michigan Tech’s Memorial Union Ballroom. The event honored educators, students and other school employees for actions taken to better their schools and communities and to represent the values of each school’s mission.

The emcee of the event was one of the founders of CCASB, Brad Baltensperger. He and others created the organization to allow school boards deeper communications between one another to address shared or individual problems found within Copper Country education. The CCASB Education Awards is an anticipated annual event for the CCASB.

“We’ve done an awards ceremony honoring an excellent student, employee and community member that support our local schools, plus an area wide Education Leadership award called the Copper Country Education Leadership Award, to someone who’s made a difference across districts,” Baltensperger said.

“The event is really to highlight the importance of public schools and the excellent job that districts in this area do in educating students. That’s what it’s really all about — How do we do the best job of helping students achieve and develop leadership skills and develop self confidence?”

Baltensperger complimented education in the Copper Country given the region’s student achievements, which he said was on the high end comparatively to the rest of Michigan. He said something that might explain that could be the high community engagement with the local schools.

The ceremony began with the Award of Distinction presented to Houghton-Portage Township Schools Board member Amanda Massaway. She was recognized for coursework credits, attendance and participation in the district’s activities. Following that award, dinner was served followed by the rest of the award ceremony.

Each school within the CCASB presented their selections for Student, Outstanding Education Employee and School Service Awards. School representatives explained what each individual contributed to the school and the impact they’ve made. One person, Andy Moyle, was recognized twice by both the Copper Island Academy (CIA) and Copper Country Intermediate School District (CCISD).

Moyle was recognized with the School Service Award by CIA for the expansion of the school’s facilities and advocating for CIA’s role in community engagement and workforce development. CCISD presented him the award for his contributions and leadership involving the construction technology (CT) programs, which grant students on the job training. Moyle was also treated to a video taken by his mother in Florida congratulating him for the work he had accomplished and the people he served.

“I’m really honored to receive any recognition, any appreciation or let alone an actual award out in public for these projects,” Moyle said. “I was lucky enough to be invited by both the CCISD on their CT program and Copper Island Academy at the start of their journey into creating an alternative school that serves and provides a different method of teaching. Since the beginning it’s just been wide open on both programs, whether it was the CCISD or the CIA, [and] we haven’t let off the throttle.”

The biggest award of the night, the Copper Country Education Leadership Award, was presented to Shelby Turnquist of the Houghton-Portage Township district. Turnquist served the district for 30 years as the food service director and 20 years as a member of the Great Lakes Consortium and helped Michigan schools secure lower food costs through the USDA. She organized food service training sessions across the western U.P. and leads the nutrition program at her school.

“This award means a lot,” Turnquist said. “My passion has always been the children and meeting the kids. I’m really big into Farm to School right now, because we want to teach them while they’re young to eat natural foods. I’ve had nothing but wonderful support from everyone.”