Erin Kinnetz has been the Education Specialist at The Parklands of Floyds Fork for four years. In that time span Erin has greatly elevated the scientific content presented during school field trips, outreach programs, and adult education programs.
She is in charge of a weekly program called Wednesday Wonders that is geared towards PreK students and their families. Pre-pandemic Erin hosted this program twice each Wednesday of the year engaging over 500 students and families. When the pandemic shut down our in-person programming, Erin pivoted to a virtual program. She never missed a single Wednesday and has even grown her following of students. In total since the pandemic began she has garnered tens of thousands of views on Youtube.
In addition to her hard work creating and presenting virtual EE content during the pandemic, Erin was also instrumental in the development of the Forest Learning Lab at The Parklands. At Forest Learning Lab students came to The Parklands each day, and with the help of our educators, were able to complete their NTI curriculum while also getting time to hike, creek walk, and explore nature. The Forest Learning Lab hosted over 400 students with 100 of those students hosted for free on a scholarship basis.
Because of Erin's hard work and dedication to the field of EE, The Parklands has actually been able to grow their programming - even during a pandemic. Erin has an undergraduate degree in scientific illustration and a masters in biology. Her knowledge, patience, enthusiasm, and passion make her very deserving of this award. Below is an example of Wednesday Wonders which Erin leads every Wednesday of the year and didn't miss a single Wednesday in 2020 - even with the pandemic raging.
Parsons, along with the five other award recipients from around the state, will be recognized at KAEE’s 45th Annual Conference during outdoor regional meet-ups and on September 23rd during the virtual conference opening.