Chelan High School Science Teacher named finalist for NCW Tech STEM Champion of the Year Award

Chelan High School science instructor April Slagle is a finalist for the regional Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Innovator of the Year award, presented by NCW Tech Alliance.

Innovation is alive and thriving across North Central Washington and next month, the region’s brightest thinkers, builders, and changemakers will gather to celebrate it.

The 24th Annual Innovator Awards Luncheon, honoring the people and organizations redefining what’s possible through technology, entrepreneurship, and education, is scheduled for November 4.

For more than two decades, the Innovator Awards have celebrated the leaders and learners who transform ideas into impact, from classrooms and farms to laboratories and startups. This year’s finalists reflect a powerful continuum of innovation: where inspiration begins in K–12, matures in college, and grows into thriving ventures that strengthen our communities and economy.

The luncheon will feature a keynote address from Colleen Kerr, JD, Assistant General Counsel at Microsoft’s AI Economy Institute and AI for Good Lab. Kerr’s work explores how artificial intelligence can drive human progress, from advancing sustainability and healthcare to expanding equitable access to digital opportunity worldwide.

In her address, Kerr will share insights from Microsoft’s AI Diffusion Report and the AI for Good Lab, which study how AI is spreading faster than any technology in history and how communities can shape that transformation by design. Her message aligns closely with NCW Tech Alliance’s mission to help people and organizations harness technology to solve real challenges and spark innovation, reinforcing that AI equity begins with digital access.

Following Kerr’s keynote, NCW Tech Alliance will recognize Slagle and other 2025 Innovator Awards finalists, leaders, learners, and entrepreneurs advancing technology and innovation across the region.

“Across every category, we see the arc of innovation unfold,” said David Mabee, Marketing Director at NCW Tech Alliance.