Julie Ward, middle, Tampa Electric’s community investment manager, awards Christi Atkinson with the Teacher of the Year award, alongside Van Ayres, superintendent of schools.
Tampa Electric’s community partnerships are helping connect classrooms to real-world learning and sparking student curiosity far beyond four walls.
One way is through our support of the Hillsborough Education Foundation (HEF) and its Teacher of the Year program. We’re honored to help recognize educators who go above and beyond for their students.
This year’s honoree, Christi Atkinson, embodies the power of collaboration between education, environmental stewardship and community support. Her journey also highlights the impact of professional development opportunities, such as those she participated in through our partnership with the Guy Harvey Foundation.
Christi Atkinson: Hillsborough County Teacher of the Year
Christi Atkinson is now in her 14th year of teaching in Hillsborough County. She spent the past nine years at Wharton High School, including the last four years as head of its science department.
Part of her effort to excel as a teacher included participating in marine conservation educational sessions offered by the Guy Harvey Foundation at our Florida Conservation and Technology Center.
“The Guy Harvey experiences have been inspiring and delivered engaging activities for the classroom,” Christi said. “It also provided a great opportunity to network with other educators around the state of Florida.”
The Power of Partnership
Christi’s recognition as Teacher of the Year is a powerful reminder of what’s possible when educators are supported through strong community partnerships. Our collaboration with HEF helps shine a spotlight on exceptional teachers, while our work with the Guy Harvey Foundation supports professional development that enriches science education and inspires environmental stewardship in local schools.
Together, these partnerships help educators like Christi challenge students to think creatively, develop innovative solutions to environmental challenges and envision themselves as the next generation of scientists, problem-solvers and conservation leaders.
We are proud to support the educators who shape the future, and even prouder to celebrate Christi Atkinson’s well-deserved recognition.
“Thank you to TECO for sponsoring HEF and partnering with Guy Harvey to help support all teachers and students,” Christi said. “It has been an absolute honor to be recognized as Hillsborough County Public Schools Teacher of the Year for 2026.”