Educator Spotlight: Anna Scotton

Anna Scotton, an educator at Lake Johnson Park in Raleigh, recently completed her NC Environmental Education Certification. Before beginning a new position with Lake Johnson Park and with the Girl Scouts, Anna worked as a high school biology and earth science teacher at Durham School of the Arts. “I really loved getting to know my students and teach about my favorite topics in science every single day. However, I am taking a break from teaching in the classroom to get back outside and into the field of environmental education.” In her personal time, Anna likes to dance, garden, needle felt, read and write, sing karaoke, and pet her two cats - Pickle and Pangea!

Anna says her favorite part of earning her certification was doing the outdoor environmental education experiences and the site visits. “It was great to have an incentive to visit some of the environmental education centers across North Carolina that I have wanted to see. North Carolina has so much to offer!"

When asked about the experience that stood out for her, Anna says it was the Advanced Air Quality instructional workshop. “I visited The Appalachian Highlands Science Learning Center at Purchase Knob near Maggie Valley, and it was such an immersive experience. I experienced gorgeous mountain views, met fellow educators, and learned through hands-on activities that I took back to my students.”

For her community partnership project, Anna co-directed the Fall Arts Festival: Dia De Los Muertos as the lead for community engagement and education. “I helped the Fall Arts Festival student ambassadors develop educational materials, prepare for the day of the festival, and facilitate education stations. Our education stations connected festival attendees with the cultural significance of monarch butterflies to the holiday, as their annual migration to Mexico symbolizes the spirits of ancestors returning home. With this, we taught about the life history of this special butterfly in hopes to engage community members to plant milkweed and other flowering natives to support monarchs. Following the festival, the school Garden Club planted a pollinator garden, which continues to grow today!”

Anna says the program helped her build the confidence needed to develop and teach age-appropriate lessons. “I have learned that the same curriculum and topics can be adapted in vastly different ways to engage and impact a specific audience. After taking the workshop “Trees and Me” which adapts Project Learning Tree to an early childhood curriculum, and then taking a Project Learning Tree workshop developed for high schoolers that focuses on climate and climate change, I feel equipped to understand the developmental needs of different age groups and how to serve them best.”

Anna says the program changed the way she views environmental issues. She realized that individuals also have a role and responsibility for environmental issues in addition to corporate and governmental systems. “These roles must be considered when teaching the public about environmental issues and civic duty. I have learned how important it is to instill a connection with nature before focusing on environmental issues, but I have also learned that real change can come about when individuals are empowered and equipped with knowledge and skills through environmental education. It is important to me as an educator to ensure that learners feel neither defeated by placing all the blame on systemic issues, or shame by placing all the blame on individuals, regarding environmental issues, but to help learners see the full picture and their role within it.”