|
|
Environmental Educators
of the Year 2005
Go back
The Idaho Environmental Education
Association (IdEEA) has selected three Idaho teachers as "Environmental
Educators of the Year."
The awardees for 2005 are:
Molly Pannkuk, 6th grade teacher, Lena Whitmore Elementary, 110 S.
Blaine St., Moscow (208-882-2621 or
pannkuk@moscow.com )
Streams, birds, and bats-as well as
students-are better off thanks to Pannkuk. Since 1995, Pannkuk was one
of the leaders in restoring a 1,200-foot section of Paradise Creek,
Moscow's home watershed. Working with her students and professionals
from Palouse-Clearwater Environmental Institute (PCEI), they recreated
meanders in a formerly straight stretch, reestablished a portion of
floodplain, and restored habitat for fish and wildlife. Today, this
portion of stream runs through Carol Ryrie Brink Nature Park. Last year,
Pannkuk collaborated again with PCEI to build bird and bat houses. She
also created a week-long science camp at Camp Wooten, near Pomeroy, WA,
followed by three years of experience at McCall Outdoor Science School,
Idaho's only residential science school.
K.C. Jones, science teacher, Skyline
High School, 1767 Blue Sky Drive, Idaho Falls (208-525-7770 or
jonekc@d91.k12.id.us )
Relying on 29 years of teaching
experience, Jones has created courses which integrate traditional
disciplines and involve lots of field work. Courses he developed include
"Stairs and Bridges: Writing through and across the Curriculum;" "Field
Science," providing students science and language arts credits for
conducting field work and then writing about their discoveries; and,
"Integrated Fundamentals of Science," a year-long sequence of life
science, earth science, and space science, using current events as a
focal point. Jones also organized the Skyline High School Environmental
Club and taught courses for the Rocky Mountain Adventure for Teachers at
the Museum of Idaho. "The years have been rewarding," says Jones. "I
truly love my job."
Alana Jensen; education and
communications task manager; Idaho National Laboratory Environmental
Surveillance, Education and Research Program; S.M. Stoller Corp.; 1780
First Street; Idaho Falls (208-525-9358 or
ajensen@stoller.com )
As the environmental educator for the INL,
Jensen provides programming on the native sagebrush steppe ecosystem of
southeastern Idaho. She has presented educational activities to nearly
19,000 students since 2000, reaching 7,000 last year. Her additional
projects include Rocky Mountain Adventure science camp; War of Weeds
summer student internships; "Environmental Report" newsletter editing;
webmastering for www.stoller-eser.com, including the new Idaho Nature
Probe project; teaching at the Rocky Mountain Adventure for Teachers at
Museum of Idaho; helping to organize the Idaho Falls Earth Day and Idaho
Falls Water Festival; and, advising the Pocatello Zoo, Children's
Discovery Room of the Museum of Idaho, and EBR-I National Historical
Landmark. Jensen is the first Idahoan to achieve Certified Environmental
Educator status through the National Project for Excellence in
Environmental Education and the Utah Society for Environmental
Education. Of her approach, Jensen says, "I try to provide education
rather than advocacy. Education is allowing students figure things out
themselves: encouraging them to investigate issues, to analyze different
points of view, to conduct research and come to their own conclusions.
Education is teaching kids how to think, not what to think."
Each winner was recognized with a colorful
certificate, scholarship for professional development, and lifetime
membership in IdEEA. These were bestowed today during the Idaho
Environmental Education Summit, annual conference of IdEEA, held at Boise
State University. IdEEA gives these awards annually based on nominations
from across the state.
Donny Roush, IdEEA executive director, says, "Molly, K.C., and Alana show
us what's great about environmental education: it's grounded in science;
it integrates the disciplines; it has service at its heart; and it creates
a fun, effective, and engaging learning experience for students."
IdEEA is a non-profit organization that promotes and supports education
about Idaho's environment. It coordinates a network of model schools,
facilitates professional connections among environmental educators, and
represents Idaho as an affiliate to the North American Association for
Environmental Education.
|
