The Gene Easter Award is given annually by the Akron Section to recognize an outstanding high school science teacher who combines innovative and relevant methods of presenting chemistry subjects in order to illustrate the importance of chemistry in our everyday lives. The award was established in 1995 and was presented to its namesake, Mr. Gene Easter of Streetsboro High School. The award consists of a small individual plaque that is retained by the awardee, a larger traveling plaque that is displayed at the awardee’s schools for one year, monetary support to attend the Biennial Conference on Chemical Education, and a $250.00 honorarium.
Nominees are high school (public, private, or parochial) science teachers who reside in the geographical area of the Akron Section. Nominations are gathered by the Akron Section Education Outreach Chair. Nomination criteria are analogous with the regional teaching awards.