Name: Sam Macaluso
Job Title and Employer: Retired 4th Grade Teacher, Washoe County School District
Location: Reno, NV
For National Miners Day, Sam provides a different perspective on #IAmMining, by talking about his role in educating Nevada’s students on the importance of mining.
“I have been associated with the Nevada Mining Association since 1990. During my career, I taught 4th Grade Nevada History, which heavily included the importance of Mining in Nevada as part of our unique and rich story. In addition to my classroom time, I also regularly dressed up as an old miner, ‘Sagebrush Sam,’ and showed students how to pan gold while telling them stories about Nevada. I am a docent with the Nevada Historical Society and take classes on school tours. One of the areas I enjoy most is guiding students through our Mining Section, explaining how mining was done in the days of the Comstock, as well as how we are mining minerals now.”
Educators and volunteers like Sam play a critical role alongside current industry members at the Teacher Mineral Education Workshops. Held twice a year in partnership with the Nevada Division of Minerals, they allow educators to earn professional credits at no cost to them. During the two-day workshop, attendees are provided information to help keep them up to date on current mineral/earth sciences and mining education, as well as how to implement and showcase this information to the K-12 students of Nevada.
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