This Trafalgar Castle School award-winning technology educator is providing the blueprint for tomorrow’s STEM leadership.
When you enter Trafalgar Castle School’s Design Technology Classroom, you are immediately enveloped in buzzing energy: the chatter of brainstorming, the whirring of robots, clanking of tools, clicking of keyboards and the occasional whoop of excitement when a line of coding succeeds. Standing in the heart of all that energy at this school for girls is Grades 7-10 Technology Teacher, Penny Senior.
To say that Senior is a visionary educator is putting it mildly. In actuality, Senior is a driving force for dismantling historical and institutional obstacles that have kept girls out of STEM. Senior provides students at Trafalgar Castle School with barrier-breaking programs that introduce skills and real-world learning experiences. As the Technology Teacher and Coordinator of Experiential Learning — in addition to being a certified Apple Teacher, Apple Coach and Canva Educator — Senior’s leadership has helped to establish Trafalgar as one of only 23 Apple Distinguished Schools in Canada, a home to award-winning robotics teams, created a tech-integrated curriculum and pioneered an annual week-long program of experiential learning experiences for students across all grades. Most importantly, Senior provides students with opportunities to develop confidence, a passion for STEM, and leadership skills.
“I want Trafalgar students to know resilience and creative thinking — to be prepared for their future, knowing that technology will be far different in the future than it is now.” Senior says, “I want students to know how to use a hammer and saw, how to innovate and problem solve. I want students to know there is not one direct path to success and that they need to be flexible and really open to opportunities.”
Senior’s fervour for STEM and the empowerment of women stems from her childhood, when she watched her single mother — once a stay-at-home Mom — return to school to become a Welder. Senior quickly learned how important it was for women to be independent, both financially and physically, and to self-advocate, believing that women are capable of achieving whatever they put their minds to.
That inspiration kicked-started a career ripe with empowerment and steeped in math, science and technology — from setting up an online database at a museum in Antigua, W.I., conducting interactive communications with Johnson and Johnson and completing her Masters in Teaching in Australia (with the focus of her thesis being Gender Based Math Assessments) to teaching Grades 3-4 enriched math classes, helping injured employees obtain GEDs to pursue new careers and educating Grades 6-8 Montessori students. Then Senior joined Trafalgar Castle School as a teacher for Grades 7-9 Math and Science, and now Grades 7-10 Technology. While she’s in her 22nd year of teaching, it was in her fourth year that Senior discovered Lego Robotics, and her passion for Design Thinking and innovation flourished. That passion has never waned, and Senior consistently pursues outside education to stay on top of the latest technology and tools. For example, Senior takes extension and professional development courses, obtains relevant certifications (like her Apple Coach certification), researches changes in technology, networks with industry leaders, and partners with institutions like Ontario Tech University, Trafalgar alumnae, and parents who offer insight into up-and-coming technologies.
Senior combines this passion, continuous learning and expertise to bring the latest EdTech to her students and help them make meaningful connections between the classroom and the world around them. In addition to merging math, tech and robotics to create cross-curricular design solution projects, she integrates woodworking into her Design Tech program, educates on digital literacy, emerging technology, cybersecurity and responsible AI use with guest speakers like Microsoft Engineers and employs interactive tools — from VR headsets, green screens and 3D printers to local environments like creeks — to support STEM learning. She also establishes outside-the-classroom partnerships with Deloitte, Microsoft, the University of Toronto and Indigenous leaders, among others, to enhance students’ learning and skill development, broaden their perspectives and introduce them to exciting career paths.
“These partnerships are so important to the growth of student (and teacher) learning. Together, we collaborate and experience real-world applications.” Senior explains, “Our partnerships share insights to help align high school curriculum with post-secondary expectations and to mentor students and teachers — whether it’s PhD students from Ontario Tech University working on a Vectors VR Headset program for Grade 11- 12 Math classes, MG Chemicals mentoring our MATE Underwater Robotics team on underwater soldering, Amazon touring students in their Engineering building or having access to resources like the Deloitte Greenhouse Technology Site and more. We’re able to provide hands-on experience in a variety of career fields because of these partnerships.”
But Senior’s dedication to STEM-learning and student leadership doesn’t end there. She also established Trafalgar’s first post-secondary STEM partnership, securing conditional acceptance and scholarship opportunities at Ontario Tech University. She launched “Trafalgar Talks”, a speaker series featuring women in fields like nuclear engineering and entrepreneurship. She leads Trafalgar’s award-winning robotics teams in national competitions. She mentors robotics team members, guides student council initiatives, coordinates volunteer community projects and leads global trips, like to the Dominican Republic, focused on gender equity, environmental issues and community impact.
“Taking learning out of the classroom gives students real work experiences and a visible representation of women in fields that interest them.” Senior says, “I also want students to experience fields they may be unaware of to broaden their career perspectives and roles of women in the real world…not just in theory but in practice.”
That dedication hasn’t gone unnoticed. Senior was recently awarded the Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence in STEM, which recognizes innovative educational practices. And it’s not only the Canadian government that recognizes the impact of Senior’s work. In fact, it was Trafalgar Castle School Senior Student Kaia K., who nominated Senior for the award.
“I nominated Ms. Senior for this award because she actively strives to educate her students in technologically relevant ways.” Kaia says, “Teachers like Ms. Senior leverage technology to teach us skills that will be key to our future success, rather than shy away from them. She deserves the recognition for her success in sparking curiosity and inspiration in Trafalgar girls.”
Looking back over her last 22 years of teaching, Senior has much to be proud of. Paving the way for girls’ advancement in STEM and building a tech-integrated, hands-on, and real-world learning ecosystem is as much about dedication as it is about innovation. Through her relentless pursuit of cutting-edge EdTech, powerful partnerships, and confidence-building opportunities, Senior has been equipping girls with the skills, mindset, resilience and creativity not just to thrive, but also lead, in a rapidly transforming world. Reflecting on all that she’s accomplished as a woman in STEM and the unlimited possibilities now awaiting her students, Senior had this to say when asked what she would say to her younger self:
“Be confident and believe that you are just as capable as the next. Be open to opportunities that come your way and use your networking skills and mentors to build your own possibilities. It’s only as fun as you make it!”