Jodie Scheid, a longtime history teacher at Sturgis Middle School, is scheduled to receive the 2025 John E. Oster Award for Excellence in Teaching, according to a community announcement.
Scheid was nominated by her peers and selected by an independent committee of community members and Sturgis Public Schools leadership. She will be the 44th recipient of the award, which she is expected to accept during the Sturgis Area Community Foundation’s Annual Meeting at the Sturges-Young Center for the Arts.
Award celebrates teaching and community impact
Presented annually, the Oster Award recognizes a Sturgis Public Schools teacher who demonstrates exceptional teaching standards, professional dedication and service to the community. It honors the legacy of the late John E. Oster, a Sturgis attorney who valued education and civic engagement, according to the announcement.
Jodie Scheid: 29 years of making history come alive
Sturgis Middle School teacher Jodie Scheid is set to receive the 2025 Oster Award for her decades of teaching and community service.
Scheid has taught eighth-grade history for 29 years and is known for her creative, immersive lessons. One of her most popular projects is the Oregon Trail simulation, a week-long collaboration that lets students experience pioneer life firsthand.
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“History is not boring, it’s people’s lives. It’s a drama and story of the lives people have lived,” Scheid said.
She also serves as Social Studies Department Chair, mentor to new teachers, Co-President of the Sturgis Education Association, and chair of the Positive Behavior Support Committee. Outside the classroom, Scheid has coached volleyball, basketball and softball, worked as an athletic trainer at football games, and taught CPR and First Aid.
With her own children now grown, Scheid says her students and athletes feel like extended family.
“Spending time with my students and athletes … I don’t think they realize how much they do for me, instead of them,” she said.
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Reflecting on her career, Scheid shared her personal philosophy: “The grass isn’t greener on the other side of the fence. It’s better when you make it better.”
For more information about the award or the foundation, visit the Sturgis Area Community Foundation.
This story was created by David DeMille, ddemille@gannett.com, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.
This article originally appeared on Sturgis Journal: Sturgis teacher wins 2025 Oster Award for excellence
