Every year, once the ORAU Extreme Classroom Makeover selection committee chooses the recipient of the $25,000 grand prize, the excitement begins as plans are set in motion for a surprise announcement. This event is one of our favorite moments of the year, and the 2026 winner is Logan Woods, a 6th-grade math and science teacher at Sevierville Intermediate School.
We surprised Mr. Woods on the morning of Tuesday, April 14, 2026. After dropping his students off at their special area class, he was meeting with an administrator in her office. During the meeting, the administrator received a [planned] phone call and told Mr. Woods that she needed to respond to the gym. She invited Mr. Woods to walk with her while they continued their conversation. When they arrived at the gym, she suggested he go in first. As he opened the door and saw his students gathered inside, the realization hit him: his year of planning and hard work had paid off, and he was the 2026 Extreme Classroom Makeover winner.
In this video, you get to see Mr. Woods walking into the gym and reacting to the news.
Mr. Woods’ video submission, inspired by Sevierville’s own Dolly Parton and featuring a creative riff on her iconic song 9 to 5, was a hit with the selection committee and viewers as he also won the Viewers’ Choice Award, a $2,500 additional prize. However, it wasn’t just his entertaining submission that stood out; it was his detailed and thoughtful plan for how he would use the prize money to transform learning at his school. His proposal included creating a 3D printing lab, incorporating drones into lessons, purchasing digital microscopes, building a smart greenhouse, and more.
Next year, Mr. Woods will transition from teaching 6th grade to becoming the school’s technology teacher, where he will work with students across 4th, 5th and 6th grades. His vision for integrating innovative technology into the classroom will undoubtedly inspire and prepare students for the future.
ORAU has been awarding our annual Extreme Classroom Makeovers to area teachers for more than 15 years. In fact, since 2009, we’ve provided more than $500,000 in prize money to purchase technology and tools to help these teachers inspire their students with a love for STEM. In this way, ORAU impacts the future STEM workforce, filling the pipeline and helping prepare students to make great contributions in the scientific and technical careers of tomorrow!
Read the news release about ORAU’s 2026 Extreme Classroom Makeover grand prize and runner-up winners.