A fifth grade teacher at North Pointe Elementary in Southgate received the 2025 Emerging IB Leader Award from The IB (International Baccalaureate) Schools of Michigan (IBSOM).
Lauren Juntila received the award for demonstrating “outstanding leadership, innovation and commitment to the IB mission,” according to a press release.
IB education focuses on the following:
- Inquiry-based constructivist learning for all students, where students can explore the content they’re learning while still meeting state standards
- Fostering interdisciplinary connections, or making sure that students see, practice and understand that all of the content areas are deeply connected outside of the classroom
- Focusing on community connections and engagement through projects and studies, students can consider problems in the classroom or in the building and then how the problems could be solved with support or community engagement
- Becoming problem-solving, collaborative, innovative learners by teaching collaboration, communication, critical thinking, research and self-management skills
Juntila was nominated for the award by her colleague, Rachel Klingelhofer.
“We can always count on Lauren to bring the values and pedagogy of IB back into sharp focus,” Klingelhofer said. “She brings her teaching experiences and ideas to our staff and inspires us all. Lauren is so true to the IB approach, she inspires me every week.”
Juntila was presented with the award at a celebration event Sept. 26.
