Middle school science teacher Micah Depper’s enthusiasm for teaching is contagious throughout the halls of Bath Middle School (BMS). It is also evident in everything he does, from establishing a student union gathering space to forging student connections with a local youth center. Depper promotes learning through an inquiry-based, scientific lens. Using his own collegiate experiences with biology and environmental studies, he makes learning come to life in biological evolution, metabolism, contact forces, bacterial resistance, genetics, ecosystems and invasive species.
Outside of his science classroom, Depper offers electronic music production for students to explore their passion for music. Well-known on campus was Depper’s “BMS Rock Band,” an 8-week music club that invited students with little to no musical experience to learn how to play an instrument and perform at school assemblies and the school play. The band became a safe, nurturing, creative outlet for these budding musicians that they appreciate to this day, providing them with a strong sense of belonging and the motivation to excel academically and personally. Other ways Depper impacts students are working with them one-on-one to enhance their field trip journals and coordinating field experiences with local industries.
Depper’s influence extends beyond students to his peer educators and school community. As a former instructional coach at BMS, he supported fellow teachers, building strong relationships and collaborating with them on effective instructional strategies. Depper helped implement a pilot under Maine’s Rethinking Responsive Education Ventures (RREV) grant program, creating innovative solutions (such as BMS Connections Classes) to increase a feeling of connectedness to school. For the district, Depper drew from his environmental studies degree to chair the climate resilience committee, where he is taking the lead in developing an eco-action plan that will advance energy efficiency for all RSU 1 schools during the coming years. He was also instrumental in the leadership and design team.
Depper earned a Bachelor of Arts in biology from Lewis & Clark College in 2010 and a Master of Science in environmental studies at Antioch University in 2013.
Press Release: Micah Depper Is Maine's Newest $25,000 Milken Educator Award Recipient
