The 2014 recipient of the Joan Riehm Memorial Environmental Leadership Award will be announced on or around Earth Day, April 22, 2014. Joan dedicated much of her professional life to making Louisville a better place to live and work. She worked primarily in the public sector, for the city of Louisville, the state of Kentucky and for Louisville Metro, helping create the newly merged city and county. Joan was in public service for the right reason - to make things better in her community. Among her strongest talents were her ability to rally people around an idea and her ability to communicate. She was instrumental in creating the Partnership for a Green City, creating the director’s position and a lifelong advocate for being green and living green. The Partnership seeks to honor Joan’s leadership and memory annually on Earth Day through this award.

Eligibility – Public service employees limited to the Partnership members (Jefferson County Public Schools, Jefferson Community & Technical College, Louisville Metro government and University of Louisville) and quasi-governmentals (Louisville Regional Airport Authority, Louisville Water Company, Metropolitan Sewer District and Transit Authority of River City). Nominees should possess a leadership role in the promotion of environmental sustainability. There are no self-nominations.

Submittals - Electronic nominations are preferred in Word or portable document file (pdf) format. Nominations may include additional supporting documentation (e.g. résumé, letters of support, photographs, flyers, supportive news clippings, etc.). Hard copy submittals may be mailed to the Partnership mailing address.

NOMINATIONS ARE DUE BY MONDAY, MARCH 31, 2014. The review committee will consist of people from outside the partner organizations.

Criteria – Nominations will be scored on the following criteria:

1. Innovation and creativity of the sustainability change - up to 20 points. 2. Sustainable leadership provided outside regular job duties - up to 20 points. 3. Long-term impacts of sustainability change – up to 20 points. 4. Degree that the individual contributed to making the change – up to 20 points. 5. Outside recognition and adoption of the innovation – up to 20 points.

The Fifth Annual Joan Riehm Memorial

Environmental Leadership Award

Honoring sustainable environmental leadership in public service

 

The 2014 Joan Riehm Memorial Environmental Leadership Nomination Form Nominee: Darleen Horton Organization: Jefferson County Public Schools, Cane Run Elementary Mailing Address: 3951 Cane Run Road, Louisville KY 40211 E-Mail Address Darleen.horton@jefferson.kyschools.us Phone 502.485.8224 Nominated by: Mike Mulheirn, Director of Facilities and Environmental Services E-Mail Address mike.mulheirn@jefferson.kyschools.us Phone 502.485.3178 or 3336

The Partnership for a Green City seeks to recognize leadership in an individual capacity that promotes environmental sustainability efforts in the community. The person could have implemented a sustainability project, program or event. The nominee could be knowledgeable and educate others or may be a catalyst in an organization or the community. The focus of the work should be on moving toward greater environmental sustainability.

Joan Riehm brought people together to collaborate on issues important to Louisville with environmental issues and sustainability being close to her heart. In that spirit, we are creating an open nominations process where the individual(s) making a nomination can be as creative and innovative in the nomination format. Nominations can be in prose form, PowerPoint or Prezi, video or any other easily disseminated format for the Judges. Supplemental information such as letters of support or project information will be considered with the nominations due by March 31, 2014.

Nominees should be public sector employees of the Partnership organizations. Self-nominations are not permitted. The Partnership for a Green City reserves the right to select more than one recipient in any year.

The award includes a $500 honorarium.

The complete nomination should be e-mailed to brent@partnershipforagreencity.org or mailed to: Partnership for a Green City, UofL Urban Studies Institute, 426 W. Bloom Street, Louisville, KY 40208 Nomination packets of the previous recipients are available at www.partnershipforagreencity.org, but don’t let the scale of previous nominees prevent anyone from making a nomination. Acknowledgement and Authorization – As the nominator, I understand that the information submitted with this nomination will be used to assess the nominee’s eligibility for the award. I certify that all the information provided on this nomination form and in the documents accompanying it is true, accurate and complete. Signature: Date:

 

Riehm Award Recipients: 2010 – Larry L. Owsley, Vice President of Business Affairs, University of Louisville 2011 – Michael Mulheirn, Director of Facilities and Environmental Services, Jefferson County Public Schools 2013 – The Honorable Tina Ward Pugh, Louisville Metro Councilwoman, District 9 2014 – Pamela Dumm, Business Manager, Jefferson Community & Technical College 2015 - ?

Sustainability  in  the  Outdoor  Classroom     Wikipedia  lists  the  definition  of  sustainability  as  “the  capacity  to  endure.”        

Outdoor  classrooms  are  natural  learning  environments  and  valuable  tools  for  helping  students  make  real  life  connections  to  subjects  they  might  only  read  about  otherwise.    Cane  Run  Elementary  has  an  exciting  outdoor  classroom  with  many  features  for  teaching,  learning  and  enjoying.    As  we  began  to  plan  and  build  there  were  important  questions  to  be  considered.    Perhaps  the  most  important  question  was,  “How  can  we  make  this  area  easily  sustainable?”    Lots  of  people  get  very  enthusiastic  about  building  gardens  and  other  features  without  thinking  about  long  term  issues  such  as  weeds  and  water  sources.    What  about  seating  areas?    Logs  are  awesome  seating  and  provide  excellent  opportunities  for  observing  decomposers  and  shredders.    And  yet,  what  happens  when  the  logs  decompose  so  much  they  are  no  longer  good  for  seating?    Is  it  still  possible  to  have  logs  brought  into  the  area?    At  a  previous  outdoor  classroom,  changes  had  been  made  to  the  schoolyard  that  prevented  a  large  vehicle  from  delivering  replacement  logs  where  they  were  needed.    We  ended  up  creating  individual  seats  from  cut  up  logs.    That  worked  ok,  but  smaller  logs  have  to  be  replaced  more  often.    That  experience  prompted  us  to  use  boulder  seating  in  our  current  space  which  has  worked  out  extremely  well  and  is  totally  sustainable.         Raised  bed  gardens  that  are  well  “mulched  in”  have  far  fewer  weeds  than  other  gardens.    Consider  using  landscape  cloth  covered  with  gravel  instead  of  mulch  around  the  beds.  The  raised  bed  gardens  have  more  productivity  and  lots  less  bending  over  to  pull  pesky  weeds.     A  great  way  to  create  an  easily  sustained  environment  where  students  can  observe  decomposition  and  lots  of  other  science  concepts  is  a  “discovery  zone”.    This  is  just  an  area  where  some  pan  sized  creek  stones  and  small  pieces  of  logs  are  arranged  on  bare  earth  surrounded  with  wood  chips  (not  treated  with  chemicals).    A  great  place  for  a  discovery  zone  is  along  a  wall  of  the  building  where  it  will  not  be  a  problem  for  mowers.    As  weather  occurs,  the  logs  will  begin  to  rot  and  the  creek  stones  will  become  habitats  for  roly-­‐polys,  crickets,  worms  and  beetles.    Give  students  hand  lenses  and  clipboards  with  pencils  and  just  watch  the  great  inquiry  and  note  booking  that  takes  place.    My  students  like  to  create  a  database  of  what  they  found  and  put  the  info  into  a  graph  showing  how  many  of  each  critter  they  found.  Another  great  inquiry  is,  “why  are  these  animals  living  under  a  rock  or  log  where  it  is  dark?”    A  discovery  zone  does  not  need  to  be  large  –  think  flower  bed  size  –  quality  over  quantity.     When  thinking  of  creating  a  sustainable  outdoor  classroom,  consider  the  long-­‐term  responsibilities  and  possibilities  such  as  human  influence  on  an  environment;  stewardship;  biodiversity;  consumption;  carrying  capacity;  social  justice;  food  and  poverty;  and  the  joy  of  being  in  a  natural  setting.    Plan;  get  everyone  involved;  revisit;  plan  again  and  then  build  an  outdoor  learning  space  that  is  just  right  for  your  school.  

           March  28,  2014    To  Joan  Riehm  Memorial  Environmental  Award  Committee:      As   the   principal   of   Cane   Run   Elementary   and   her   direct   supervisor,   it   has   been   a   pleasure  working  with  Darleen  Horton  as  Magnet  Coordinator.    

This   letter   serves   as   support   documentation   that   I   endorse   Mrs.   Horton   for   Environmental  Leadership   Award.   Darleen   has   been   a   pioneer   in   the   area   of   Environmental   Education.   She  writes   lessons  and  teaches  across  the  curriculum  utilizing  agriculture  concepts   (science,  math,  social   studies,   environmental   science,   practical   living,   arts,   engineering,   and   technology).  Darleen   Horton   aligns   agricultural   learning   activities   with   state   and   or   national   education  standards.  She  takes  ownership  of  projects  and  her  professional   involvement   in  organizations  motivates  others.    Darleen’s  demonstrates  leadership  by  aligning  agricultural  learning  activities  with   state   and   or   national   education   standards.   She   plans   and   implements   special   programs  utilizing  agricultural  experts  for  the  student  body  (such  as  Pioneer  Day,  STEAM  Day,  Science  &  Math  Night,  Career  Day).  Darleen  provides  professional  development,  presenting  at   local  and  state   conferences   and   spear   heading   Cane   Run’s   Environmental   Magnet.   She   designs   and  builds   Outdoor   Classrooms   and   mentors   educators   by   providing   programming   to   embed  science   and   environmental   science   across   the   curriculum.   Darleen   sponsors   a   weekly  Environmental  Education  Club  for  students.    

As  Principal  of  Cane  Run  Elementary  I  nominate  Darleen  Horton.      Darleen  will  be  a  wonderful  recipient  of  the  Joan  Riehm  Memorial  Environmental  Award.  She  is  innovative  and  unrelenting  in  her  approach  to  advancing  environmental  education.  I  know  if  she  is  awarded  the  Joan  Riehm  Memorial  Environmental  Award  teaching  and  learning  will  benefit.  Your   organization   will   be   impressed   by   her   relentless   desire   to   promote   education   for   all  students.      If  you  need  more  information,  please  feel  free  to  contact  me.    Sincerely,      Dr.  Gwendolyn  Goffner  Principal,  Cane  Run  Elementary  502-­‐485-­‐8223  

Darleen  Horton  

An  educator  for  more  than  four  decades,  Darleen  Horton  leads  by  modeling  outdoor  education  and  environmental  literacy  to  students,  staff,  families  and  community.    She  designs  and  builds  outdoor  learning  environments  to  provide  real    learning  experiences  that  will  not  only  teach  lessons  but  will  help  children  understand  their  position  as  responsible  citizens  of  the  Earth.    Believing  that  food  is  a  common  denominator,  she  uses  gardening  with  students,  staff  and  families  to  focus  on  healthy  eating,  the  value  of  local  food  and  to  develop  respect  for  cultures  around  the  world.    She  creates  and  presents  professional  development  to  embed  environmental  science,  environmental  literacy,  and  environmental  responsibility  across  the  curriculum  for  local  schools,  district,  state  and  national  educators.    Her  Peace  Garden  Program  at  Cane  Run  Elementary  was  one  of  the  international  recipients  of  the  Hunger  to  Hope  Award,  presented  by  YUM  Brands.    

For  many  years  she  has  led  environmental  clubs  and  “green  teams”  -­‐  groups  of  students  focused  on  reducing  the  carbon  footprint  of  their  school,  their  family,  and  themselves.    Last  year,  Cane  Run’s  Green  Team  won  the  National  Rookie  School  of  the  Year  Award  from  the  National  Energy  Education  Development  group.    She  leads  the  Recycling  and  Food  Composting  programs  at  Cane  Run  Elementary.    Her  EE  Club  students  build  electronic  game  boards  from  recycled  materials  on  environmental  topics  then  use  those  game  boards  at  family  and  community  events  as  a  teaching  tool.    She  holds  school  wide  family  events  several  times  each  year  to  promote  environmental,  science  and  math  programs.  

She  is  a  presenter  for  KET  educational  video,  Raindrops  to  Rivers  and  Think  Garden,  and  has  been  published  in  the  FOSS  National  Newsletter  on  the  Environmental  Magnet  Program  at  Cane  Run.    She  is  also  an  author  in  a  book  about  Presidential  Awardees  for  Excellence  in  Science  Teaching.  

She  has  initiated  and  developed  true  partnerships  creating  mutual  respect  and  understanding  between  the  business  community  and  the  school  community.    These  partnerships  have  led  to  the  building  of  an  excellent,  handicapped  accessible  community  playground  in  the  front  area  of  Cane  Run  Elementary.    School  and  community  families  utilize  this  area  as  a  safe  and  healthy  way  to  spend  time  outdoors.    Additionally,  with  help  from  the  partners,  various  gardens  and  outdoor  features  have  been  placed  along  the  fitness  walk  around  the  school  property.      

• Darleen  Horton  believes  that  environmental  studies  make  connections  to  children’s  real  world  and  builds  bridges  that  cross  gaps  in  a  traditional  classroom  setting.    Critical  thinking  skills  in  content  areas  translate  to  basic  life  skills  when  students  construct  their  own  learning.    Being  a  responsible  part  of  the  environment  enhances  learning  no  matter  what  the  age.  

• Her  Green  Apple  Energy  Trees  at  Cane  Run  reflect  the  substantial  influence  environmental  education  has  had  and  continues  to  have  on  the  students,  staff,  families  and  community  members  at  Cane  Run.    The  green  apples  have  individual  pledges  written  on  them,  made  by  all  these  stakeholders,  to  be  a  visual  reminder  to  everyone  who  comes  through  the  front  doors  of  the  school  that  greater  environmental  sustainability  is  a  major  focus.  

 

 

 Darleen  is  a  recipient  of  the:  

• 2014    Clean  Air  Champion  Award  (Metro  Louisville  Air  Pollution  Control  District)  

• 2013  Trailblazing  Teacher  Award  • 2013  Charlie  Hutton  Leadership  and  Community  Service  Award  • 2012  Kentucky  Association  for  Environmental  Education  

Outstanding  Individual  for  Excellence  in  Environmental  Education  • 2007  Community  Pride  Public  Service  Award  • 2005  Presidential  Award  for  Excellence  in  Mathematics  and  

Science  Teaching  (first  recipient  for  an  environmental  focus)  • 2005  WHAS    ExCel  Award  • 2004  Amgen  Award  for  Science  Teaching  Excellence  • 2004  Ashland  Inc.  Teacher  Achievement  Award  • 2004  Aegon  Teacher  Award  • 2004  Environmental  Educator  Grant  from  Soil  &  Water  

Conservation  District  • 2004  Fred  Wiche  /  Brightside  Award  –  First  Place  in  the  School  

Division  • 2003  Environmental  Educator  of  the  Year  (Jefferson  Co  Soil  &  Water  District)  

 

Darleen  Horton’s  passion  is  using  nature  to  bring  learning  alive  for  children  of  all  ages  to  help  them  create  a  more  sustainable  and  healthy  world.  

 

 

 March  28,  2014                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Partnership  for  a  Green  City  c/o  Brent  Fryrear,  Director  Joan  Riehm  Memorial  Environmental  Leadership  Award  U  of  L  Urban  Studies  Institute  426  W.  Bloom  Street  Louisville,  KY  40208      Dear  Members  of  the  Review  Committee:    As  naturalist  of  the  Jefferson  County  Public  Schools,  I  am  pleased  to  support  the  nomination  of  Cane  Run’s  Environmental  Magnet  Coordinator,  Darleen  Horton  for  this  recognition.    Like  Joan,  Darleen  works  enthusiastically  for  the  betterment  of  her  economically  and  environmentally  impoverished  Cane  Run  community.  It  is  with  Darleen’s  dedication  and  commitment  to  a  better  future  for  the  environment  and  her  student’s  lives  that  she  is  able  to  communicate  her  schools  needs  and  rally  people  including;  district  administration,  teachers,  students,  parents  and  the  larger  community  around  her  vision  of  sustainability  for  all.    Most  notable  is  Darleen’s  leadership,  creativity  and  innovation  of  developing  Cane  Run’s  outdoor  classroom.    Its  many  features  include  a  pond,  multiple  theme  gardens,  sitting  areas,  composting  area,  discovery  zone,  fossil  bed,  force  and  motion  station,  bird-­‐feeding  area.  They  were  developed  with  the  curriculum  in  mind  for  all  teachers  in  each  subject  area  to  use  as  a  resource.    Darleen  has  worked  with  the  Cane  Run  teachers  and  teacher’s  district  wide  though  professional  development  on  using  outdoor  classrooms  as  an  educational  resource.  Many  teachers  who  are  interested  in  developing  their  own  school  sites  are  recommended  by  the  district  and  invited  personally  by  Darleen  for  an  educational  tour.  Darleen’s  support,  enthusiasm  and  demonstrations  in  working  with  students  has  empowered  Cane  Run’s  teachers  to  be  comfortable  and  confident  in  taking  their  classes  out  on  their  own  so  that  on  a  given  day  multiple  classes  will  be  using  these  resources.    It  was  through  Darleen’s  ability  to  communicate  her  needs,  the  schools  needs  and  its  educational  value  that  she  is  able  to  garner  on-­‐going  community  support  in  both  dollars  and  physical  labor  to  make  it  come  to  fruition  and  sustainable.    Beyond  the  local  school,  Darleen  has  developed  a  relationship  with  multiple  agencies  and  organizations  to  provide  Cane  Run’s  students  with  real  life  experiences  to  assist  them  in  seeing  and  applying  their  school  knowledge  in  the  larger  community  setting.  With  Cane  Run’s  students  at  a  95%  free  and  reduced  lunch  rate,  many  of  these  students  would  not  have  these  opportunities  otherwise.    Students  and  teachers  have  the  educational  opportunity  to  visit,  the  Louisville  Zoo,  Blackacre  State  Nature  Preserve,  Jefferson  County  Memorial  Forest,  Oxmoor  Farms,  the  Louisville  Water  Company  and  even  Red  River  Gorge.    

Because  of  her  dedication  and  compassion  for  her  student’s  as  seen  through  her  work,  Darleen  is  able  to  engage  dozens  of  community  resources  for  daylong  school  wide  annual  events  that  all  students  participate  in  including  a  Pioneer  Day  and  Earth  Day.    In  addition,  Darleen  sponsors  Energy  nights,  Science  nights,  and  Food  literacy  nights  at  Cane  Run  for  students  and  parents  alike.    Darleen’s  enthusiasm  goes  beyond  the  school  day  and  it  is  not  uncommon  for  her  to  work  many  additional  hours  and  use  her  personal  resources  as  well  to  improve,  provide  additional  opportunities,  and  sustain  the  schools  environmental  theme.    She  has  developed  an  environmental  club,  gardening  club  and  green  energy  club  at  Cane  Run.    She  has  empowered  her  students  through  these  clubs  in  variety  of  ways.    Environmental  students  have  participated  in  the  PGC  Youth  Environmentally  Aware  leadership  program  with  the  students  highlighting  Cane  Run’s  participation  in  the  states  Green  and  Healthy  School  projects.    The  green  energy  club  often  highlights  the  schools  environmental  green  infrastructure  to  visiting  professionals  wanting  to  learn  more  about  its  design.  Under  Darleen’s  leadership  and  guidance,  Cane  Run  students  were  presenters  at  the  KY  Chapter  of  Educational  Facilities  Planners  International  Conference.  Students  presented  to  professionals  on  how  to  best  use  school  buildings  and  grounds  to  learn.    The  clubs  also  completed  research  and  energy  audits,  which  earned  the  school  the  2013  Green  Ribbon  School  Award  and  the  Rookie  School  of  the  Year  award  by  the  National  Energy  Education  Project  and  was  additionally  recognized  by  KDE  and  the  U.S.  Dept.  Education.        Additionally,  Darleen  has  received:  the  National  Presidential  Science  Teachers  Award,  the  Kentucky  Association  for  Environmental  Education’s  Outstanding  Environmental  Educator  Award,  the  Center  for  Green  School’s  ‘Trail  Blazing’  Teacher  Award.    YUM  brands  have  recognized  her  school  garden  efforts  with  the  International  Top  20  Global  Award  for  Peace  Gardens.  She  has  served  as  President  of  the  Kentucky  Science  Teachers  Association,  has  been  a  presenter  at  annual  conferences  for  the  Kentucky  Association  for  Env.  Education  and  the  National  Science  Teachers  Association,  and  has  been  involved  with  developing  the  KDE  Kentucky  Environmental  Literacy  Plan.    As  I  write,  Darleen  is  currently  off  presenting  at  the  International  Technology  and  Engineering  Conference  on  “Engineering  in  the  Outdoor  Classroom”.  Once  again,  Darleen’s  efforts  and  leadership  goes  beyond  her  regular  duties.    I  am  proud  and  honored  to  be  a  colleague  of  Darleen.  Darleen  has  immersed  the  Cane  Run  community  and  beyond  in  a  variety  of  ways,  at  different  levels  for  long  lasting  impact  for  sustainability.  She  has  been  recognized  at  the  state  level  and  national  level.    Through  a  tremendous  amount  of  time,  effort,  innovation  and  creativity,  much  beyond  the  call  of  duty,  Darleen  now  deserves,  in  the  spirit  of  Roan  Riehm,  to  be  recognized  locally!    Sincerely,    Bryan  Thompson                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    JCPS  Gheens  Curriculum  Management  Naturalist  

   

To  whom  it  may  concern,    I  would  like  to  nominate  Darleen  Horton  for  consideration  regarding  the  Joan  Riehm  Memorial  Environmental  Leadership  Award.    I  have  attached  the  completed  form,  recommendation  letter,  and  pictures  of  some  of  Darleen’s  work  in  environmental  sustainability  and  the  education  of  children  at  Cane  Run  Elementary  School.    Please  contact  me  at  your  convenience  if  you  need  any  additional  information.    Thank  you  in  advance  for  your  consideration.    Darleen  is  very  deserving  of  this  award!    Kind  regards,    John  Gant    

   

D a r l e e n   H o r t o n  

 Cane  Run  Elementary,  Louisville,  KY  502-­‐551-­‐9907    

 darleen.horton@jefferson.kyschools.us  or  

johnanddarleenhorton@outlook.com  

CAREER  SUMMARY  

   Current  Position  Cane  Run  Elementary  Environmental  Magnet  Coordinator  

    08/2009  to  Present  

Designing   and   building   world   class,   standards   based   Outdoor   Classroom;   Creating   standards   based   lessons   in  environmental  literacy  and  environmental  education  to  be  embedded  into  current  curriculum  for  all  grade  levels,  K  –  5.    Building  partnerships  with  local  businesses  and  industry  and  creating  an  advisory  council  from  that  group;    Working  with  environmental   leaders   in   the  district,   community  and  state  on  environmental  principals  and  working  with  students   to  make  real  life  connections.    Creating  and  presenting  professional  development  for  local,  state,  and  national  educators;    Mentoring  of  pre-­‐service  teachers;  working  with  the  school  administrative  team;    grant  writing;  curriculum  development  and  teacher  development.   Prior  Positions      Chenoweth  Elementary,  Louisville:    Science  Lab       08/1999  to  07/2009  

   Christian  Academy  of  Louisville:    Kindergarten       08/1993  to  05/1998  

   Anchorage  Independent  School:    ECE  permanent  sub       11/1992  to  05/1993  

   Cranbrook  Hospice,  Troy,  MI:    Administration  &  Training       09/1989  to  04/1992  

   Mt.  Pleasant  Hospital,  PA:    Administration  &  Training       06/1988  to  07/1999  

   Connellsville  El.,  PA:    Kindergarten       08/1986  to  05/1988  

   Shabbona  Middle  School,  IL:    Language  Arts  Lab       08/1984  to  05/1986  

   Morris,  IL  Vo-­‐Tech  &  H.S.:    Permanent  Sub       08/1981  to  05/1984  

   Falling  Waters,  WV:    4th  &  5th  Grade       08/1975  to  02/1976  

   Elementary  School  Danville,  IL:    Reading  &  Librarian       08/1974  to  06/1975  

 

Awards,  Grants,  and  Profess ional  Organizat ions  

• 2014      Clean  Air  Champion  Award    • 2013      Trailblazing  Teacher  Award  • 2013      Charlie  Hutton  Leadership  and  Community  

Service  Award  •  

2012 Kentucky Association for Environmental Education Outstanding Individual for Excellence in Environmental Education

 • 2005      Presidential  Award  for  Excellence  in  

Mathematics  and  Science  Teaching  • 2005      WHAS    ExCel  Award  • 2004      Amgen  Award  for  Science  Teaching  

Excellence  • 2004      Ashland  Inc.  Teacher  Achievement  Award  

• 2004      Aegon  Teacher  Award  • 2004      Environmental  Educator  Grant  from  Soil  &  

Water  Conservation  District  • 2004      Fred  Wiche  /  Brightside  Award  –  First  Place  in  

the  School  Division  • 2003      Environmental  Educator  of  the  Year  

(Jefferson  Co  Soil  &  Water  District)  • Society  of  Elementary  Presidential  Awardees  • Association  of  Presidential  Awardees  in  Science  

Teaching  • National  Science  Teachers  Association  • National  Association  of  Environmental  Educators  • National  Education  Association  /  Kentucky  

Education  Association  

• Kentucky  Science  Teachers  Association  Board  of  Directors  

• Kentucky  Education  Association  

• Kentucky  Association  for  Environmental  Education  • Jefferson  County  Teachers  Association  

Profess ional  Service  

• Mentor  for  Pre-­‐Service  Teachers  2005  –  present  (Bellarmine,  University  of  Louisville,  IUS,  JCTC)  • Outdoor  Classroom  Chairperson  for  Partnership  for  a  Greener  Metro-­‐Louisville  followed  by  participation  in  various  

committees  within  the  Partnership  as  a    representative  for  Jefferson  County  Public  Schools  • Presenter  for  National  NSTA  Conventions    (SEPA  and  APAST  –  presidential  awardee  associations)    • Presenter  at  KSTA  Conventions  focusing  on  Inquiry  Science  and  Integration  of  Environmental  Education  across  the  

Curriculum  (2000  -­‐  2013)  • JCPS  Garden  Alliance  Presenter  • Inquiry  Science  Presentations:    District  and  State,  and  National  • Review  and  Selection  Committee  for  KY  PAEMST  elementary  division  • Author  of  a  chapter  in  the  book,    Presidential  Awardees,  From  the  Hills  to  the  White  House  • Author  and  Presenter  on  KDE  video:    Inquiry  Learning,  Methods  of  Instruction  2006  • Author  and  Presenter  on  KDE  video  (Environmental  Ed):  Raindrops  to  Rivers,  Professional  Development,  2008  • Science  Instructor  for  JCPS  Alternative  Certification  in  Elementary  and  Secondary  Program  (ACES)  • Science  and  Professional  Development  Reviewer  for  Corwin  Press  -­‐  ongoing  • Content  Advisory  Committee  for  KDE  and  West  Ed  to  develop  the  assessment  items  for  state  assessments  • Core  Content  for  Assessment  Version  4.0  Revision  Committee  for  KDE  • AIMS  Presenter  for  Elementary  Teachers    • Key  Leader  in  the  Building  a  Presence  for  Science  program  in  Kentucky  • Jefferson  County  Public  Schools  Elementary  Science  Alliance  Facilitator  • Elementary  Science  Writer  for  Core  Content  for  Assessment  Guides  for  JCPS  • Jefferson  County  Public  Schools  Committee  to  Write  and  Revise  Science  Open  Response  Questions  • Environmental  Leader  and  Curriculum  Committee  for  Chenoweth  Elementary  • Creator  and  Presenter  of    Utilizing  the  Outdoor  Classroom  Across  the  Curriculum  • JCPS  Professional  Development:    Building  and  Teaching  in  Outdoor  Classrooms      • Louisville  Science  Center:    Teacher  Institute  Curriculum  Writer  and  Presenter  

Education  

Bachelors  of  Science  Degree,  Western  Kentucky  University  Graduate:    Education  and  Environmental  Education,  University  of  Louisville