Jenay Sharp Leach
NASA Headquarters
Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate
Virginia – Grades K-6, General Science
Jenay Sharp Leach is a National Board Certified science teacher who loves to spark her students’ curiosity and instill in them an appreciation of the natural world. Jenay is originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and she earned a B.S. in Physics and General Science/Secondary Education from Grove City College in Pennsylvania. Her Master’s degree is in Educational Leadership and Administration from the George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Jenay has worked in Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia, one of the nation’s largest and most diverse districts, as a physics teacher and science resource teacher.
As a physics teacher at Chantilly High School, Jenay taught several levels of physics and served as the physics team lead. Jenay also coached junior varsity lacrosse and was head of the master scheduling committee. With her help and expertise, several of Jenay’s physics students placed at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. Currently, Jenay works as a science specialist at Woodley Hills Elementary, where she is the lead science teacher and science fair coordinator. She teaches students in Grades K-6 and works with the classroom teachers of Grades 4-6. Jenay has a passion for developing teachers’ confidence, content knowledge, and pedagogy in teaching science. This passion is exemplified in the work that she does with teachers at the school level and beyond.
Jenay has presented at numerous professional development workshops at the district and state levels, most recently at the Virginia Association of Science Teachers’ annual professional development institute. Jenay has written curriculum for Fairfax County and the State of Virginia and has served on review committees for the Virginia State Department of Education. She is also the author of several published articles on science teach- ing methodology.
Jenay’s 2010-11 Einstein Fellowship was in the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate at NASA.