The Regional Professional Development Center at Northwest Missouri State University has announced two area teachers as its 2023-24 Regional Teachers of the Year.

This year’s honorees are Colby Gibson, a high school social studies teacher in the Mid-Buchanan R-V School District, and Carrie Hill, a second-grade teacher in the North Andrew R-VI School District.

Gibson has 12 years of teaching experience, including the last 11 at Mid-Buchanan. He began his career with the Gallatin R-V School District and has degrees from the University of Missouri-Columbia and Northwest with emphases in social studies and leadership.

Hill has 25 years of teaching experience, including the last seven at North Andrew. With degrees from Missouri Western University and Baker University, she also taught in the King City, Chillicothe and St. Joseph school districts.

The Northwest Regional Teacher of the Year award is part of the Missouri Teacher of the Year program, sponsored by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). The program recognizes the efforts of effective teachers in providing quality education to their students. Preparing, developing and supporting effective educators is one of DESE’s primary goals.

The honorees are now eligible to compete for the 2023-2024 Missouri Teacher of the Year. A selection committee, comprising teachers, business leaders and education organization leaders, will choose the Missouri Teacher of the Year after interviews with each finalist this fall. The winner and the finalists will be honored in October in Jefferson City, Missouri. The Missouri Teacher of the Year serves as the state’s nominee for the National Teacher of the Year competition.

The Northwest Regional Professional Development Center supports and provides professional development activities for K-12 educators in more than 60 school districts in the 15-county Northwest region.