Lisa Davis has always had a creative mind. So, it’s only natural that, as an educator, she shares her creativity with her students.
The positive impact she has had on our youth as a result, is not going unnoticed. 
Davis, the coordinator of the Zone for Imagination, Innovation and Inspiration (ZI3) at the Westmoreland Central School District, was one of nine local women to be honored by the Mohawk Valley Chapter of the YWCA at its 31st Annual “Salute to Outstanding Women” Awards Ceremony on May 9. Davis received the “STEAM” award for her contributions to Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (STEAM) education.
The ZI3, which Davis created, is a unique learning space located in the Upper Elementary School where students of all ages and their parents, staff and community members can collaborate, research, connect, design, build and develop new ideas. A strong emphasis is placed on STEAM through a variety of activities such as engineering challenges, virtual field trips, maker experiences and more. Past community events and classes include STEAM Family Fun Nights, Staying Safe Online, Google Tools for Parents, Coding and Robotics, Introduction to Flying Drones, 3D Printing and Laser Engraving, Painting and Pendulums, Cooking Healthy with Kids, Introduction to Cake Decorating and Munchies and Masterpieces.
The Mohawk Valley Chapter of the YWCA specifically recognized Davis’ efforts to encourage more girls to pursue STEAM careers.
“I am very proud to be a woman in a STEAM career because it allows me to be a model for young girls that could be interested in going to college for science, technology, engineering, arts or math,” Davis said.
Davis has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in K-12 Music Education, along with a Certificate of Advanced Study in District Leadership. She is employed by the Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES and, in addition to the Westmoreland Central School District, works at the Remsen Central School District focusing on technology integration, STEAM experiences and 21st Century skills. Prior to her current position, Davis was a music teacher at Oriskany Jr./Sr. High School. It’s there where she says her passion for technology blossomed.
“During my first year teaching there, Superintendent of Schools Mr. Howard Mettelman noticed that I wasn’t afraid to use a computer, and asked me to learn a new application called PowerPoint,” Davis explained. “I learned it, and then taught not only my students how to create their own presentations, but also teachers. That is when my technology side really started to take off.”
“I started signing up for any workshop or event that focused on educational technology that could engage my students and enhance my lessons,” Davis added. “My original path that I thought I would follow until I retired, was changing.”
Since moving on from music to technology education, Davis says she has always tried to live and teach by something Ralph Waldo Emerson once said - - “Do not go where the path may lead, instead where there is no path, leave a trail.”
“There was no path to follow when I started coordinating Westmoreland’s Zone of Imagination, Innovation, and Inspiration,” Davis recalled. “But, we are really blazing a trail!”
Davis was nominated for the YWCA’s “Salute to Outstanding Women” STEAM Award by Lorraine Cittadino, a science teacher at Westmoreland Jr./Sr. High School. She thanks Lorraine for her support, along with her husband Chris, mom and dad, in-laws and colleagues she works with on a daily basis.
“It means I have been able to make a new path and blaze a new trail,” Davis, when asked what the award means to her, said. “I am making a difference I hope can inspire others to not be afraid to focus on what is important to them and go where there is no path and leave their own trail.”
Since the inception of “Salute to Outstanding Women” in 1989, the Mohawk Valley Chapter of the YWCA has honored 248 women from Oneida and Herkimer counties. In addition to Davis, the other honorees for 2019 are:
Education – Maria Lindsay, Principal at Little Falls Middle School
Entrepreneur – Christina Buschmann, Owner of Yoga Hot Spot
Healthcare – Dianne DiMeo, Training and Staff Development Coordinator at Regional Primary Care Network
Human and Public Service – Gail Miskowiec, Chief Operations Officer at The Arc Oneida-Lewis Chapter
Outstanding Youth – Brooke Riscica, Senior at Whitesboro High School
Professions/Business & Industry – Kristen Szarek, Director of Customer Care at Defense Finance Accounting Service
Social Justice – Olivia Paul, Financial Compliance Officer at The Hartford
Unsung Heroine – Sister Lois Paciello, Community Outreach and Bereavement Director at Church of Our Lady of Lourdes
Congratulations, Lisa Davis!