2021 Nevada State Teacher of the Year and National Teacher of the Year Finalist Juliana Urtubey shares her experience building relationships with students and families while building a school garden, describes the benefits of becoming a National Board Certified teacher, and explains the impact of equity and representation in schools.

L. Juliana Urtubey, NBCT holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Bilingual General and Special Elementary Education and is a National Board Certified Teacher (ECYA Exceptional Needs Specialist, 2018). Currently, she is a hybrid teacher at Kermit R. Booker Elementary where she serves as an instructional strategist and co-teacher for the Pre-K and Special Education departments. Previously, she taught resource at Crestwood Elementary in Downtown Las Vegas where she was warmly known as “Ms. Earth” due to her work in beautifying the school with gardens and murals. Juliana is a National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) Teacher Fellow, a member of the NBPTS Board of Directors, a Teach Plus Senior Policy Fellow, an Understood Teacher Fellow and Mentor, a member of the NVDE Superintendent Teacher Advisory Cabinet, and a professional learning facilitator with the Nevada National Board Professional Learning Institute. She is a 2018 Roger’s Foundation Heart of Education Winner, a recipient of the 2019 Chicanos Por La Causa Esperanza Latina Teaching Award, and a recipient of the Hispanic Education Association of Nevada Teacher of the Year (NV).