Legendary Educator
The Legendary Educator Award was inaugurated in 2009 to recognize the outstanding educators
who have made a difference to the thousands of students who have attended Grand Island Public Schools.
Yvette Engelhaupt
Legendary Educator 2024
Yvette Danielson Engelhaupt was born in Wheatland, Wyoming, the oldest daughter of three, to Ivan and Wilma Danielson. She spent her early years in Wyoming, Washington, and Nebraska. In 1963, she graduated from Alliance High School with honors, having been active in student government all four years.
Mrs. Engelhaupt attended Chadron State College and then taught for five years in Rural Schools. Her interest in teaching began in first grade with Miss Wedow, who had taught her mother and three aunts. Mrs. Engelhaupt cherished her memories of attending and teaching in many schools.
In the fall of 1970, after earning her bachelor's degree from Chadron State College, Engelhaupt and her husband Dean moved to Grand Island and began her GIPS teaching career. She taught third grade at Jefferson Elementary, fourth grade at Newell Elementary, and fifth grade at Lincoln Elementary. For four years Mrs. Engelhaupt was the Elementary Math Coach for the GIPS District. She also taught additional math at Howard Elementary during the interim of year-round school.
After receiving her master's degree from Doane College in 1995, Mrs. Engelhaupt was trained to teach Cooperative Learning in three different methods (Moorman, Borba, and Kagan) for Doane College and Kearney State College. She also taught S.E.E. Cap for six years.
Mrs. Engelhaupt taught Trailblazer Math methods for Kendall Hunt Publishing company throughout the United States for four years and continued substitute teaching in GIPS after retiring in 2007.
Another teaching opportunity became a reality for Engelhaupt by teaching ELL to adults at the Literacy Council of Grand Island, a non-profit organization.
During her educational career, Mrs. Engelhaupt received a number of awards. They include the Region IV Nebraska Association of Elementary School Principals Friend of Education Award in 2016 and the For the Love of Children Lifetime Achievement Award in April 2018.
Mrs. Engelhaupt and her late husband, Dean, have three children: Jeffrey Dean Engelhaupt (a GISH graduate), Jennifer Lynne Engelhaupt (a GISH graduate), and Amy Dixon (a Central Catholic graduate).
