Molly J. Bestge, 21st century education leader and consultant, is proud to be a fourth generation teacher.  She holds degrees from Jamestown College (2000) in 1-6 Elementary Education and K-12 Music Education, as well as a Master’s degree in K-12 Curriculum and Instruction from Minot State University (2004).  She attained National Board Certification in 2011 in Early Adolescence Language Arts. 

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She taught 5th and 6th grade (all subjects) for 12 years in West Fargo, ND, three of which were at the STEM Center Middle School, where she helped set the vision for the 21st century learning lab school as well as taught Language Arts for the 6th grade team.  She later transitioned to leadership at the West Fargo (ND) Public Schools’ district office as the 6-12 Secondary Curriculum Coordinator for 5 years, where she led curriculum development and professional development for 6-12 grade educators in all subject areas (ELA, Math, Social Studies, Science, PE/Health, Art, Music, and Foreign Language).  She helped facilitate the growth of the STEM program to both middle schools and high schools in her district. 

She curated a collaboration among the Metro schools (Fargo, Moorhead, and West Fargo) around 21st century learning, the 4Cs (critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity), and project-based learning. 

Molly is a passionate 21st century educator and in her work with Cultivate21, works hard to provide relevant professional learning experiences for educators that directly impact shifts in instruction and application of best 21st century classroom practices into the classroom.  Molly brings with her varied experiences and has taught all core content area subjects, including Art and Music.  These experiences allow her to share relevant and concrete examples of 21st century learning with ease.

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She enjoys traveling the country sharing her passion for STEM/STEAM, 21st century learning, and 21st century skills through engaging presentations and keynotes.

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Molly has presented her work at the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Conference, the National Math and Science Partnership (MSP) Conference, and at the National EdLeader21 Conference.  She also served on the national advisory council for EdLeader21 for 2015 and 2016.  She is a champion for 21st century learning and skills and their importance in curriculum.

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Molly and her husband live in Lake Park, MN, with their two children and dogs.  They enjoy country lake living, quality family time, taking in their children’s various school and extra-curricular activities, as well as being actively involved in their local church.  Her hobbies include reading, writing, playing the piano and singing, cooking, lake time, and photography.

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You can contact Molly by email at molly@cultivate21.com, follow Cultivate21 on Facebook, follow Cultivate21 on Instagram, follow her on Twitter @mjbestge and @cultivate21edu, and read her 21st Century Education Blog on the Cultivate21 site.

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