LEE NEWBURY WINS 2019 LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN EE

Lee Newbury, former middle-school science and math teacher at Model Laboratory School, has been a strong advocate of—and practitioner of—environmentalism and environmental education for more than four decades.

Early in her career, Ms. Newbury taught in Florida, and she emphasized the role of the ocean in the local environment and as part of the global environment. She worked with students in a summer program that allowed them to focus on environmental issues, and she brought the concept of the program with her to Kentucky, adapting it to the local environment and its particular issues.

When she began her tenure at Model, she embraced the outdoor classroom, an area of the school campus dedicated to local flora and fauna. She, along with other science colleagues and some elementary teachers, focused on maintaining this area to allow students to have hands-on lessons with living specimens and to study the interaction of elements within an environment. In addition, Ms. Newbury created Wildside, an interactive unit for her middle-school students that asked each student to choose an animal to research and then present their information to their peers and to elementary students; the students would create costumes and dress as their chosen animals for the presentations, and they would present the information and answer questions. The project was very popular and helped students better understand their world.

Throughout her career as an educator, Ms. Newbury practiced what she preached. Not only did she teach about environmentalism, but she practiced it within her classroom as well, creating meta-lessons that reinforced her ideas. Lee Newbury has dedicated her life to educating kids about their world and their place in that world. She has constantly and consistently challenged her students to explore the world and to strive to make it a better place by preserving it.

“Besides my teaching and advocating for environmental issues,” she says, “it has been important to me to share my knowledge and leadership abilities in the area of environmental literacy.” She has done so in countless ways, including serving multiple terms on both the KAEE and Kentucky Science Teachers Association (KSTA) Boards; by facilitating workshops for pre-service teachers, non-formal and formal educators, and other citizen groups using a number of environmental curricula (Project Wild, Project WET, and more); creating and facilitating summer Envirowatch camps through EKU's Community Education Programs; and presenting on a variety of science related topics at the annual conferences of KAEE and KSTA.

CARMEN AGOURIDIS NAMED M.K. DICKERSON AWARD WINNER FOR EXCELLENCE IN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

Anyone who has seen the pollinator gardens dotting the University of Kentucky's campus, noticed the outdoor classroom at Cassidy Elementary, or enjoyed the restoration of Vaughn's Branch Creek along Lexington’s Alumni Drive has seen some of Dr. Carmen Agouridis' projects. What may not be as visible to the public, however, is the extensive work she does both at the University of Kentucky and across the state to bring environmental education to life. A PhD and Professional Engineer, Dr. Agouridis has a remarkable gift for making even the most nuanced ecological concepts accessible to her audience.​ In 2018, Dr. Agouridis organized a Master Naturalist program for Kentucky, the first in the state. Though still in its infancy, this program, with its focus on training environmental stewards who will in turn become valuable assets to Kentucky's natural areas, has the potential to generate new resources and opportunities for environmental education for years to come. And although the program is indeed a powerful collaboration between educators from a variety of environmentally-related fields, Dr. Agouridis is deserving of a special commendation for the work she has done to make this possible. ​

KAEE Member Feature: Berea Forestry Outreach Center

With goals that include community education, community building, and caretaking, the Forestry Outreach Center of Berea College (FOC) provides a space in which people of all ages can learn about the natural world and, specifically, the Berea College Forest. “Using a model of community education in which each person participates as both a teacher and a learner,” the FOC explains, “our hope is that the Center will act as a bridge between College and community, fostering an attitude of stewardship of the lands and waters that sustain us.”

To this end, the FOC welcomes visitors to participate in engaging activities tailored to meet the needs of learners of all ages, including school and community groups. For no charge, the FOC offers interdisciplinary environmental education for school and community groups utilizing pre-designed activities (like those from award-winning EE curriculum guides such as Project Wild, Project Wet, and Project Learning Tree) or activities tailor-made for a class. The FOC team can also plan pre- and post- activities to help visitors make the most of their visit.

And what better place to enjoy those activities than the mountains surrounding Berea that are home to three of Kentucky’s beloved trails, the Pinnacles, Brushy Fork, and Anglin Falls? “Sharing a forest experience brings people together,” the FOC says, “and builds lasting relationships that strengthen communities.”

In addition to providing EE experiences for all, the FOC manages the Berea College Forest, maintaining and improving physical facilities while enhancing, studying, and utilizing varied sources including wood products, water, recreation, and wildlife. “Learning about forest lands, air, and water renews a sense of stewardship,” the FOC explains, “and reinvigorates a commitment to care for the earth.”

To learn more about Berea College’s Forestry Outreach Center, an organizational member of KAEE, visit their website and explore their social media accounts (and their Forest!).