The Maryland Association of Environmental and Outdoor Education with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources hosted the second annual Maryland Youth Summit on Friday, June 3. The Alice Ferguson Foundation set up two environmental literacy stations. Baltimore’s coverage of the event discretely mentions both! The first is our Crumpled Paper Watershed station during which students conduct a hands-on activity to learn what a watershed is. The second is our Worm Bin class where students learn about vermiculture (worm poop!) and get to handle and observe our red wigglers. It was a great day with beautiful weather, and we were so please to be able to represent our organization!
One of Our Partner Teachers Earns Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Teaching
One of our amazing partner teachers from Watkins Elementary School in DCPS, Lauren Tate, has been honored with this Presidential Award! She has attended our Teacher Institute and participates in our long-term partnership program as well. She gives us a shout-out in her bio for the award.
The Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching is awarded annually to outstanding K-12 science and mathematics teachers from across the country. The 85 winners are selected by a panel of distinguished scientists, mathematicians, and educators following an initial selection process done at the state level.
Winners of this Presidential honor receive a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation to be used at their discretion. They also receive an expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., for an awards ceremony and several days of educational and celebratory events, including visits with members of Congress and the Administration.
Lauren Tate
Washington, DC – Science
Teaching is not only my profession, but my chosen vocation. I am a firm believer that fundamental concepts and skills are developed from infancy through the primary years. This award will recognize and support my continued efforts to supply my students with active, hands-on, student-centered inquiry, which is the core of good science education. I am also thrilled about the Presidential Award program events, which will expose me to even more innovative and effective teaching strategies.
Lauren Tate has enjoyed being an educator for 19 years. She teaches at the Capitol Hill Cluster School (CHCS), Watkins Elementary Campus. She has taught first and second grade and is presently thrilled to specialize in mathematics and science for second grade.
Lauren serves on the Executive Board of the CHCS Parent Teacher Association as a teacher representative. She was elected to serve on a Community Advisory Panel charged with identifying a new principal for her school.
Her commitment to educating all goes beyond her students. Every year, Lauren hosts a Parent Night to explain the curriculum. She teaches parents mathematics and science games to play with their children at home in order to help them understand that these subjects are a part of everyday life.
Last summer, Lauren attended the Alice Fergusen Foundation’s (AFF) Teacher Institute. She learned innovative activities to make outdoor science accessible to her students in an exciting way. Students will use the school’s Living Classroom in all content areas. She has continued her relationship with AFF on the Outdoor Classroom Committee, which helps teachers go beyond the four walls of their classroom.
Lauren has a B.S. in psychology with minors in education and chemistry from Howard University. She has early childhood certification.
For more on the ceremony, see the blog on NSF’s website.
Project WET Workshop at Cesar Chavez Elementary
We had a great time at Cesar Chavez Elementary School in Prince George’s County learning all about properties of water, water cycle, importance of water, water conservation, and human impacts on water. Project WET is a wonderful compilation of fantastic hands-on activities for kids to learn all about water.
The best part about professional development is having a turn being a student!
My favorite part of the workshop was the perspective that this all Latina group of teachers brought to conversations about water issues – both from their own countries of origin and from immigrant cultures. Thanks to the teachers for taking the time to learn with me, and if you want to see more pictures, check out the album on the Alice Ferguson Foundation’s Facebook page.
Quiet creative writing time in an outdoor classroom
Giving the teachers a chance to teach Aqua Bodies - a Project WET activity
Earth Day at U.S. Botanic Gardens
We were delighted to exhibit at the United States Botanic Gardens’ Earth Day Celebration last week. Naturalists from Hard Bargain Farm Environmental Center brought baby chicks, rabbits, and eggs to teach visitors about where their food comes from and about animal adaptations. We even got 3 seconds of fame on the local news! Check it out.