Silver named finalist for national tech awards

Joshua Silver ’03 ’07 ’18, chief of staff for Las Cruces Public Schools, was named a national finalist in spring 2024 for the EdTech Leadership Award and the EdTech Trendsetter Award.

The EdTech Awards recognize people for their outstanding contributions in transforming education through technology. 

Since 2020, Silver and his team at LCPS worked to build a student technician program that gives students internship opportunities and helps them learn valuable skills.

“I hope to build a technology pipeline for our students and continue to provide workplace opportunities,” Silver says. “This is a model that I would love to see other districts adopt. Not only does it give students opportunities to gain work experience, but they also gain valuable skills that will serve our entire community.”  

Silver also organized and hosted the Impact 24 regional technology conference for educators in southern New Mexico and created one of the only film festivals in New Mexico, the Tell the Story Film Showcase, that highlights student-produced films.

Before becoming chief of staff in June 2024, Silver served as chief technology director for LCPS and director of online teaching and learning and dean of students at Arrowhead Park Early College High School in Las Cruces. He also has taught English and media and was named LCPS Teacher of the Year in 2014.

Silver has a bachelor’s degree in secondary education and teaching from the NMSU College of Education, now part of the College of Health, Education and Social Transformation. He also has a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction and a master’s degree in business administration and management.

The EdTech Awards were established in 2010 to recognize, acknowledge and celebrate exceptional innovators, leaders and trendsetters in education technology. The 2024 finalists and winners were narrowed from a large field and judged based on various criteria, including pedagogical workability, efficacy and results, support, clarity, value and potential. 

“Like our world, the whole of education, from K-12, higher education, workforce learning sectors, is currently in flux. To the fierce, persistent and indefatigable innovators, leaders and trendsetters of edtech, we salute you,” says Victor Rivero, editor-in-chief of EdTech Digest.