The Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce Chip Schwehm is the first recipient of the Chamber’s Outstanding Teacher Award at Boothbay Regional High School. The Chamber’s executive director and a member of the selection committee, Patricia Royall, said, “Chip is a real treasure for our high school and our community. He meets students where they are and guides them to be problem solvers and collaborative workers --- traits that will lead to success after high school. The Chamber is thrilled to recognize Chip as an Outstanding Teacher.”

Schwehm has a bachelor’s degree in engineering and physics from the University of Maine Orono and a master’s degree in education from the University of Southern Maine. He has been a STEM teacher at the high school for seven years teaching engineering, furniture and musical instruments making, and the class, Making and Marketing. The selection committee noted Schwehm’s transformation of the BRHS “shop” classes, and his extraordinary one-on-one work with students.

In Making and Marketing, a course Schwehm developed and has taught for three years, students design, produce, and market a commercial product. This year the Making and Marketing students made wood-frame sunglasses, which are available for purchase on a website the students designed and built: AtlanticWaveShades.com. Schwehm also leads the school’s “fix-it” club, which meets informally after school and on weekends to help with hands-on projects for the community. The “fix-it” club recently built several picnic tables for the Boothbay Region Elementary School and a café bar for the high school library. Schwehm, an excellent guitarist, also encourages musically inclined students to play in various venues including the Open Mic Night at the Opera House.

The Chamber will recognize Schwehm at its Annual Awards Dinner on May 29 and will award him a check for $1,000. Congratulations, Chip.