Educator Spotlight: Christy Perrin

Christy Perrin, the Sustainable Waters and Communities Coordinator with the NC Water Resources Research Institute (WRRI) and NC Sea Grant, recently completed her NC Environmental Education Certification. In these roles Christy implements projects that benefit both people and nature with a focus on water. “I facilitate collaborative initiatives like the Wake Green Schools Partnership which works to increase environmental literacy in schools, and I coordinate projects that increase community and ecological resiliency and engage K-12 students and educators in NC standards-aligned lessons about water resources and natural science careers. I’m also a volunteer leader with my child’s Scouting of America Troop which provides plenty of opportunities to join camping and other outdoor adventures!”

Christy says her favorite part of earning her certification was participating in the outdoor environmental education experiences. “ It raised my awareness of the many guided programs available across NC through local and state agencies and environmental education centers, and it gave me the gentle nudge I needed to participate in many of them. The NC Museum of Natural Science's Mad for Madtoms Educator Trek was a highlight -- literally diving into a river to learn about tiny, endangered Carolina Madtoms (catfish), and meeting Neuse River Waterdogs with Museum and NC Wildlife Resources Commission staff!”

When asked about an experience in the program that stood out to her, Christy says it was the Methods of Teaching Environmental Education Workshop. “I found the course especially helpful since my education was about public administration, environmental policy and collaborative problem solving, not teaching. It helped me to move more comfortably and confidently into engaging K-12 audiences in my programming.”

For her community partnership project, Christy chose to do her project at her son's elementary school. As a PTA member and parent volunteer, she was able to work collaboratively to create an outdoor learning and play area and to coordinate sustainability events around campus including native plant installations and litter cleanups. “The new outdoor learning and play area provides K-2 grade students unstructured play opportunities, benefitting their development. The boulders, trees, shrubs and perennials installed throughout the campus provide additional natural areas to explore and enhance the ecosystem and wildlife who may use the campus as their habitat. The importance of outdoor sustainability at the school is now reflected in the title of the committee I chaired. I worked with the PTA president to change the committee from “operations and grounds” to "sustainability and grounds."

Christy says the certification changed her approach to teaching. “The program provided me with skills, knowledge, practice and confidence to expand K-12 programming within WRRI. “I'm applying what I've learned every time I plan to visit a school, create new lesson plans, or partner with others on initiatives to advance environmental literacy across the state of North Carolina.”

Christy says she had a strong base of understanding of environmental issues before starting the program, but the program changed how she thinks about supporting her students’ understanding of environmental issues. “I better understand the need to support a student's critical thinking and analysis of environmental issues as part of the environmental education process and to help them connect to their own experiences and knowledge to make those environmental issues relevant to them. Getting students outdoors to see and experience their local environment is a key piece the process.”