About Me

Mary Rinehart is an accomplished educator and leader in Career and Technical Education, with over a decade of experience in Family and Consumer Sciences, STEM, and educational leadership. She currently teaches at Mt. Vernon High School, where she teaches the dual credit Education Professions pathway for future teachers. She also serves the FCCLA advisor and coordinates the district’s Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Program.

Previously, Mary served as Director of Teacher Pathway Programs at Ball State University, where she played a key role in coordinating Indiana’s first K–12 Teacher Registered Apprenticeship Program in collaboration with ten partner districts. Her leadership experience also includes serving as President and CEO of 1st Maker Space, where she developed innovative K–12 makerspace curricula and professional development programs for educators.

Mary began her career teaching Family and Consumer Sciences at Pike High School and has held state-level roles at the Indiana Department of Education, where she led STEM and technology education initiatives and helped launch the Indiana STEM Certification program. She holds a Master’s in Curriculum and Educational Technology and will earn her K–12 Building Level Administrator License from Ball State University in 2025.

A passionate advocate for hands-on, future-ready learning, Mary has presented internationally and served in leadership roles with FIRST Indiana Robotics and the Indiana Technology Student Association. Her work has been recognized with the Foundation Award from Indiana FIRST Robotics and the Outstanding State Supervisor Award from ITEEA.