Sturgis Middle School teacher Jodie Scheid has been selected to receive the 2025 John E. Oster Award for Excellence in Teaching. Scheid’s nomination was submitted by her peers and then reviewed by an independent award committee made up of community members and Sturgis Public Schools leadership. She will be the 44th recipient of the award, which she will accept during the Sturgis Area Community Foundation’s annual meeting at the Sturges-Young Center for the Arts.

About the Award

The Oster Award is given annually to a teacher in the Sturgis Public School District. The award targets teachers demonstrating high professional standards for teacher training and education, and extraordinary devotion to the Sturgis community. The award is given in memory of the late John Oster, a Sturgis attorney who placed a high value on education.

About Jodie Scheid

For nearly three decades, Jodie Scheid has been a cornerstone of Sturgis Middle School, where she has taught eighth grade history for 29 years. Growing up in Genesee, Michigan, Jodie was first inspired by her father, a longtime teacher, and discovered her own passion for history during college. After earning her teaching degree and athletic training certification at Grand Valley State University, she went on to complete a master’s degree in Athletic Administration from Western Michigan University.

Scheid is known for her creativity and dedication to making history come alive. One of her most memorable projects is the Oregon Trail simulation, a week-long collaboration across the eighth grade team that allows students to step into the lives of pioneers. For her, history is never dull—it’s human drama. As she puts it, “History is not boring, it’s people’s lives. It’s a drama and story of the lives people have lived.” That perspective inspires lessons that spark curiosity and leave students excited to return to her classroom.

Beyond the classroom, Scheid’s leadership extends throughout the school. She serves as Social Studies Department Chair, mentor to new teachers, Sturgis Education Association Co-President, and chair of the Positive Behavior Support Committee, where she finds creative ways to celebrate student success. She has also given back as an athletic trainer at football games, coach for volleyball, basketball, and softball, and CPR and First Aid instructor.

With her own children now grown, Scheid considers her students and athletes part of her extended family.

“My own children are grown, and I’m an empty nester now. Spending time with my students and athletes… I don’t think they realize how much they do for me, instead of them.”

Reflecting on her career, she sums up her approach with a simple but powerful philosophy: “The grass isn’t greener on the other side of the fence. It’s better when you make it better.”

Scheid will be recognized on Thursday, October 2nd during an event at the Sturges-Young Center for the Arts, where she will receive the Oster Award.

The Sturgis Area Community Foundation is a $41M foundation committed to serving the charitable needs of our community and enriching the quality of life for all people in the Sturgis area. Through philanthropic services, strategic investments, and community leadership, the Sturgis Area Community Foundation helps people support the causes they care about now and for generations.

For more information on grants or donor services, email sacf@sturgisfoundation.org.