Deborah Belflower served as a consultant for Women-in-Charge while she taught at Moultrie Middle School for 20 years. During that time, she introduced the girls to marine ecology in the salt marsh and kayaking on Shem Creek. One of the highlights of this experience was working with a real world female scientist at the University of Florida. The girls harvested Spartina grass and helped conduct an investigation into why the marshes were dying off.

In the fall of 2014 Mrs. Belflower moved to the upstate and began teaching 7th grade Science at Seneca Middle School. She initiated a new branch of Women-in-Charge after seeing the need for the 7th and 8th grade girls to realize their potential in the fields of math and science. She meets with forty-four Seneca Middle School girls on a daily basis for 30 minutes. Guest speakers have included a female fishing guide and an optometrist. She is very excited to be a part of Women-in-Charge from the mountains to the sea.

Mrs. Belflower received my Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from the University of Georgia. She has a Masters in Middle Grades Education plus thirty hours towards my Doctorate.  In addition she is National Board Certified in Early Adolescence Science. In the past she has served on the South Carolina Outdoor Education Program (SCOEP) board in charge of curriculum and served as a curriculum consultant with the South Carolina Ports Authority.  Mrs. Belflower’s is a “Trout in the Classroom” teacher sponsored by Trout Unlimited which offers the opportunity to raise rainbow trout in the classroom.

Delaine Childress is excited to be working with Seneca Middle School’s Women in Charge program!  Encouraging enthusiasm and passion for math and science in middle school girls, the program is in its second year at our school and off to a fabulous start.  Delaine has more than 25 years’ experience in education teaching grades 2-7 as a classroom teacher and grades K-8 as an instructional coach.  After getting her B.A. from Clemson University, she attended Furman University where she earned her M.A.  Delaine is thrilled for the opportunity to work with these vibrant intelligent young women motivating them to be the best they can be while sparking their interests in the math and science fields.

Dona Gardner has taught math and science in the middle grades for 24 years. During those years she has specialized in integrating and implementing technology into the classroom and beyond. She has training in Project Learning Tree and Project Wet and has challenged students to be environmentally responsible and to learn as much as they can about preserving our planet.  Mrs. Gardner has taken previous students hiking, camping and worked closely with visiting scientists at the Appalachian Highlands Science Learning Center that allowed her students to conduct field experiments. She is excited to have the opportunity to motivate and inspire young women through authentic Science, Technology, Engineering and Math experiences.

Mrs. Gardner received my Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from the Mars Hill College. She has a Master’s in Education from Western Carolina University. In addition, she is National Board Certified as a Middle Childhood Generalist. She moved to the upstate in 2013 and teaches 8th grade Science at Seneca Middle School.  In her spare time, she enjoys the lakes of the upstate, the hillsides of the mountains and spending time with her family. 

Grant Writer