Horizon Award Winner

Carbon Named 2024 USD 400 Horizon Award Winner

October 9, 2023

USD 400 is pleased to announce Stephanie Carbon as the district’s 2024 Kansas Horizon Award recipient.

This award program is hosted by the Kansas State Department of Education and is designed to identify and celebrate early career teachers of excellence in Kansas public schools. To be eligible, a teacher must have completed their first year of teaching in a Kansas classroom.  

Stephanie Carbon is a PreKindergarten teacher at Soderstrom Elementary School.  She works with 3 and 4 year old children and helps them become Kindergarten Ready by supporting their socialization skills and behaviors.  Additionally, she puts her kids on a path of learning the very beginning aspects of reading, writing and counting.  

Stephanie completed her bachelor of arts in education at Wichita State University and has earned endorsements in Early Childhood Unified and Elementary Education.

Stephanie’s classroom is active, energetic and dynamic!  She works very hard to develop play-based learning experiences for her prek students so that they see school as a place of fun and learning.

As part of her nomination, Stephanie will be considered for a state-wide announcement as a Kansas Horizon Award winner.  There are only 32 state level awardees among dozens of district nominees.  She will also begin to participate in the Kansas Exemplary Education Network (KEEN) which will provide support and professional learning through workshops and other networking opportunities.

Congratulations to Stephanie Carbon, the 2024 Smoky Valley Horizon Award winner!

Written by Monte Couchman