LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Lura Scruggs was nominated anonymously.

Ms. Scruggs is the STEM teacher at Ithaca Elementary School, where she has the joy of teaching approximately 850 students each week in grades K–5, with occasional visits from Pre-K students, as well. She is passionate about creating a welcoming, hands-on, and engaging classroom environment that sparks curiosity and helps students make meaningful connections between what they learn and the world around them.

One of her proudest accomplishments is her work with the school garden, a vibrant hub of real-world STEM learning. She oversees both the garden and the Garden Club, which the Carroll County Master Gardeners support. Together, they cultivate a wide variety of fruits and vegetables that are used in cooking lessons, taste tests, school lunches, and even shared with the community during the summer when extra produce is abundant.

Ms. Scruggs also brings STEM to life inside the classroom with hydroponic towers, where students witness science in action every day. She fosters cross-age collaboration through a close partnership with the local high school's Agriculture department. High school students regularly visit to lead lessons for her elementary students, creating valuable learning experiences for both age groups.

Ms. Scruggs is currently collaborating with the Farm Bureau and the high school's Ag department to introduce a new greenhouse to the school, which will further expand STEM learning opportunities. The Farm Bureau also supports her program by providing agriculture-themed literature lessons and guest speakers to help connect students with potential STEM and agriculture careers. Ms. Scruggs also partners with the University of West Georgia Youth and Science Center, offering immersive experiences such as the Star Lab, solar energy lessons, and hands-on science kits that make complex STEM concepts accessible and engaging.

Her outreach also extends to local businesses, which provide interactive STEM activities that expose students to a wide range of technologies and career paths. In addition to her daily teaching, Ms. Scruggs coaches the Technology Fair participants and the Science Olympiad team, further enriching students' learning opportunities outside the regular classroom. She introduces students to a wide range of topics, from 3D printing and robotics to engineering challenges and science experiments, ensuring that every student has the opportunity to discover something they love.

At the core of her work is a commitment to building a classroom culture where students feel safe, encouraged, and inspired. Her ultimate goal is to help students realize that everything is interconnected and that they can achieve any goal they set for themselves.