CLARENDON, Vt. (AP) — A school librarian and technology integration specialist in Clarendon is Vermont’s 2022 teacher of the year, the state Education Agency announced Monday.

Karen McCalla of the Mill River Union High School gives opportunities for hands-on learning in science, technology, engineering, art and math or STEAM through the library’s makerspace, the agency said. She also coaches upper elementary, middle and high school students in robotics, officials said.

“Karen McCalla’s advocacy for a STEAM education for all students is timely and important. The STEAM focus on technical skills and a creative mindset provides lifelong benefits for our students, in their careers and everyday lives," said Vermont Edudcation Secretary Dan French in a written statement.

McCalla has been the librarian and technology integration specialist at Mill River for 19 years. She starts her tenure as Vermont Teacher of the Year on Jan. 1, 2022 and plans to focus on the importance of a hands-on STEAM education for all students, the Education Agency said.

“Her deliberate and focused work on behalf of our students from marginalized communities and support for work centered around educational equity is the backbone of our progress where that work is not always easy to do," said David Younce, superintendent of schools for the Mill River Unified Union School District.