BS, Environmental Science, minor in Spanish, Northern Arizona University
Secondary Teaching Certification – High School Biology, Middle School General Science, NAU
My thesis was titled Cultivating Connections: Understanding good practice environmental education in Arizona and New Zealand schools. The purpose of the study was to better understand how environmental education (EE) is implemented in a formal school setting by learning from a diverse range of achievements in EE and honoring teachers’ voices and experiences in EE. I conducted qualitative interviews at seven different schools in Arizona and New Zealand to highlight good practice situations where teachers are overcoming the many challenges of integrating EE into the traditional school system and helping students incorporate knowledge of the world around them into their formal education. Because I was also interested in the roles community, culture, and diversity play in EE, I selected schools with varying degrees of geographic and demographic diversity.
The themes that emerged from the interview data are used to inform a model that illustrates the teachers’ EE perceptions and experiences. The model demonstrates how EE practice was influenced by the dominant cultural values of the local community in a way that either supported or challenged EE efforts in schools. EE programs were supported and strengthened within communities with a shared vision for EE, a strong sense of place, and a connection with their community in a meaningful way. It was found that achieving good practice in EE is a journey along a continuum towards sustainability and, though it follows a path that is unique to each school, teachers in both countries experienced many of the same successes and challenges in EE.
The MLS program really helped me understand the concept of ‘sustainability’ in a much broader, more comprehensive way. Coming into the program as an environmental educator, I had previously focused most of my thinking on the educational aspects of sustainability. N I have a much more holistic understanding that spans all sectors of society and has greatly enhanced my ability to be an effective educator. I learned a great deal from my fellow MLS students and was so impressed with the diverse perspectives and experiences they brought to the program. I am currently managing children’s programs at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, AZ and am serving on the Arizona Association for Environmental Education Board of Directors as President.
For more information, visit the Arizona Association for Environmental Education website.