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PORTLAND, Ore. - Five exceptional high school teachers from Portland, Rockaway Beach, Lake Oswego, Gold Beach and Vancouver, Wash. are this year's recipients of the Outstanding High School Educator Award.

The awards are sponsored by Oregon State University's College of Business and the Portland Tribune and Community Newspapers.

Honorees will be recognized at Oregon State University's 2011 College of Business Alumni & Business Partner Awards dinner on Tuesday, May 3, in Portland. Each will receive a $500 award to use in advancing educational programs at their school.

The annual awards recognize high school educators whose efforts have improved student achievement, used innovative and exemplary instructional strategies and enhanced student learning. Winners were selected based on their philosophy in teaching and how their efforts improved education in innovative ways.

Nominations were submitted from throughout Oregon and southwest Washington and were made by students, fellow teachers and administrators.

"We believe that education, especially at the high school level, provides the building blocks of leadership and evaluation, as well as the inspiration for future achievement," said Steve Clark, president of the Portland Tribune and Community Newspapers.

The following teachers will receive this year's Outstanding High School Educator Awards:

• Gretchen Anthony has taught at Gold Beach High School on the Oregon coast for more than 21 years. She is known for instilling complex mathematics subjects through creative techniques, including guest speakers to illustrate career opportunities and the role of mathematics in the business world.

• Diana Bledsoe is a teacher at Legacy High School in Vancouver, Wash., where she helps at-risk students retain essential life skills and meet graduation requirements. Her varied courses incorporate student interest in writing, culture and history that create a learning atmosphere of motivation, curiosity and engagement.
• Elena Garcia-Velasco has developed and implemented a rigorous college-bound philosophy among students at Roosevelt High School in Portland. She teaches advanced placement classes for native Spanish- and English-speaking students.
• Beth Gienger of Neah-Kah-Nie High School in Rockaway Beach has been a science teacher for 27 years and continually inspires students with her expertise in marine biology. She has taken students to numerous science competitions and has won championships.

• Terry Moore, a teacher at Lakeridge High School in Lake Oswego, is known for using innovative instructional methods at to help students understand difficult mathematics concepts. He has inspired students to become doctors, lawyers, business leaders, teachers, mathematicians and even a Rhodes Scholar.