Kimberly Elementary teacher honored as C-STEM Teacher of the Year

REDLANDS, Calif. — Kimberly Elementary fifth-grade teacher Roland Hosch has been named a C-STEM Teacher of the Year by the University of California, Davis, recognizing his creative integration of computer science and robotics into math instruction.

Hosch received the statewide honor at the 15th Annual C-STEM Conference on Oct. 17 at UC Davis, where educators from across California gathered to celebrate innovation in STEM education. The award highlights Hosch’s commitment to hands-on learning and his commitment to inspiring students to pursue careers and post-secondary study in C-STEM fields.

After 33 years in the classroom—30 of them in Redlands Unified—Hosch said the UC Davis C-STEM program has transformed how his students experience math.

“Traditional math is like a football game where everybody just sat around explaining how they understood the rules,” he said. “RoboBlocky has interjected that excitement and that fun where we have these highlight-reel moments in the classroom, and then they never forget it.”

His students agree. Fifth-grader Yoseph said the program has made math “fun” and more engaging.

“I’m good at math and I’d still do it without the coding, but this makes it fun,” he said. “It makes it more interesting and makes me want to keep doing it.”

The approach, Hosch said, also builds resilience and problem-solving skills that carry beyond academics. Two students, Jamie and Paloma, shared that they used the same “debugging” mindset to resolve a disagreement outside class—slowing down, reviewing what went wrong, and finding common ground.

"Mr. Hosch always says you have to realize what you did wrong and then fix it to move on," Jamie said.

Paloma added, “It’s like when you’re coding and something’s not doing exactly what you thought it would. You have to go back and review it.”

PICTURE Kimberly Elementary teacher Roland Hosch writes a math problem on the board during a lesson on multiplying fractions. (courtesy photo)

Kimberly Elementary Principal Emily Elgan said Hosch’s recognition underscores the school’s broader culture of excellence.

“Celebrating educator success—which leads to scholar achievement—truly demonstrates what is working well at Kimberly,” Elgan said. “When scholars witness their teacher being recognized, it validates the importance and quality of the education they are receiving.”

Redlands Unified was among the first districts nationwide to train teachers through the UC Davis C-STEM program, which blends robotics and coding into math instruction to close opportunity gaps and boost engagement. Since launching the program in 2018, district leaders say they’ve seen measurable gains in math performance and stronger participation among girls and underrepresented students.

Superintendent Juan Cabral praised Hosch as a model of innovation and inspiration.

“Mr. Hosch’s charisma and passion for teaching inspire students to see themselves as innovators and problem-solvers,” Cabral said. “His approach empowers our students to confidently explore robotics, mathematics, and computer science, and positions them for success in the rapidly evolving C-STEM field.”