Kim Kelleher, a retired school counselor and educator, recently completed the N.C. Environmental Education Certification Program.
Kelleher says one of her favorite parts of earning her certification was traveling the state to visit environmental education facilities and the people she met along the way. She also credits the program with helping her start an “encore” or post-retirement career.
“I retired on July 1st after a forty-year career as a school counselor and educator. I am now being asked to speak at schools, meetings, community events and colleges to describe the positive impact environmental education programs and events have had on my students and school. I have been traveling since July 1st to New England, to Florida for deep sea fishing and we went to Shenandoah National Park three times for hikes and educational programs.” Kelleher is currently volunteering for multiple programs in her community and has enrolled in Duke University’s Lifelong Learning Institute.
When asked if the program led to changes in her approach to teaching, Kelleher says she saw a positive change in her students when she began taking them outdoors. “ I have been a school counselor for many years and have used various approaches in helping children, staff members and parents. When I started taking the students outside to build a nature trail, grow plants in our greenhouse and lead interpretations for other children and visitors, it changed my students in positive ways. We had an increase in attendance, a decrease in office referrals and improved academic performance, motivation and attention.”
For her community partnership project, Kelleher wrote and taught a 16-week environmental education curriculum for students at her school. “Twenty students in grades 3 - 5 participated in my program I called The Great Outdoors. My club was extremely popular and many children wanted to participate. I am currently working on publishing my program for other educators to use in their settings.”
Kelleher was awarded the N.C. Wildlife Federation’s Environmental Educator of the Year and was recognized at the Governor’s Conservation Achievement Awards Banquet in September 2017. She also recently accepted the award for Environmental Educator of the Year from Environmental Educators of North Carolina.
“I learned a lot from all the classes that I took. I have a better understanding of environmental issues than ever before. I myself did not receive the best science instruction growing up and therefore was never interested in many science fields as a career. I have a much better understanding of environmental issues now and the way science should and should not be taught,” says Kelleher.
Kim I so proud of this accomplishment and the impact you have had and will have for others to inspire their efforts in environmental education. A new journey begins!
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