Local Mariposa resident Marlena Hebern has been selected as a participant in the Google for Education Certified Innovator Program. The program begins with an Innovation Academy to be held at Google headquarters in Mountain View, CA on February 24-26, 2016.

From over 250 applicants, 34 participants were selected for the Google for Education Certified Innovator program based on their professional experience, their passion for teaching and learning, their innovative use of technology in school settings, and their potential impact on other educators. Marlena Hebern is honored to be selected to join an existing worldwide community of 1300 Certified Innovators in this prestigious program.

At the Innovation Academy, participants will discover how to unlock creativity, translate insights into solutions, experiment rapidly, and build an effective innovation culture in schools and organizations. Participants will come away with practical approaches, valuable tools and techniques, and the beginnings of an Innovation Project. This project will drive change in education, impact educators and students, and be documented for other educators to follow.

The Certified Innovators are ambassadors for change and empower other educators and students. They strive to change the world of education by tackling complex opportunities to develop new-to-the-world solutions.

For more information on the Google for Education Certified Innovator Program, please visit: www.certifiedinnovators.com.

Marlena was a teacher for 14 years in Mariposa and mostly taught 1st grade at Woodland Elementary and more recently, ELA and English Language Learner Coordinator for 5 years.  She returned to the classroom this year to teach 6th grade, where she began implementing a 1:1 Chromebook program (1 computer per student).

Marlena took a job at the Fresno County Office of Ed as the Coordinator II of Instructional Technology Services in November and now works with teachers all over Fresno County on integrating technology into their instruction. 

Marlena is married to Walt Hebern. Walt is also a teacher and has taught multimedia at Mariposa County High School for the past 21 years. They have 2 girls, both graduates from MCHS. One works for PG&E as a GIS Specialist and the other is graduating as an Aerospace Engineer from Cal Poly Pomona this spring and will go to work for Northrup Grumman in July. The family lives in Mariposa.