Updated April 7th, 2017
Local Educators Honored With Outstanding Teacher Award
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DAYTON, OH (March 30, 2017) — Five Rivers MetroParks has named the winners of its third annual OUTstanding Teacher Award, created to honor Dayton-area teachers who engage students with the outdoors:
- Rising Star (less than 10 years): John Huston, Nicholas Residential Treatment Center School
Huston used his extensive educational background and experience with the sciences, conservation and natural resource preservation to create a unique classroom experience for his students. After just two years in his position, Huston has transformed the school’s grounds into a nature-based classroom where students now participate in various science and conservation-based projects, including the Monarch Project, creek studies and cultivating a native grasslands habitat.
- Leader (10 to 20 years): Mary McKnight, Thurgood Marshall STEM High School
McKnight spearheaded a school-wide effort to create an outdoor classroom that would enhance the academic goals of various content areas, including foreign language, literature, science, math and language arts. Under McKnight’s direction, students and teachers collaborated to create an urban garden. As part of their classroom activities, students grew food, conducted soil testing, recorded nature observations and crafted molds for pavers for the school garden.
- Lifetime Achievement (more than 20 years): Lisa Simmons, St. Helen School
A physical education teacher and organizer of St. Helen School’s Eco Club, Simmons has a passion for outdoor activity and nature exploration. Simmons was instrumental in setting up and maintaining the school’s garden, which is a designated Monarch Way Station and has received honors from the Wild Ohio program. Students in Eco-Club make bird houses, plant seeds and remove weeds, in addition to taking field trips to learn about local wildlife and conduct stream studies.
Awardees were honored at the Miami Valley Leave No Child Inside Summit on Saturday, March 11, at Wegerzyn Gardens MetroPark. Winning teachers received an award package containing:
- Kit with plants selected for their schools
- Environmental Education Council of Ohio membership (includes money to use toward the 101 Conference held at Camp Kern the first weekend of October)
- A one-year membership to the Cox Arboretum Foundation and a field trip to Cox Arboretum MetroPark for their students (includes transportation)
- Outdoor educational materials to assist in connecting students to the environment
The award honors teachers who provide students with outdoor, environmental experiences that inspire interest in and build positive attitudes about nature. Applications for the next year’s awards will be available this fall.
