Educator Spotlight: Brittany Fairfax

Brittany Fairfax, a fourth-grade teacher at Acme Delco Elementary School in Columbus County recently completed her NC Environmental Education Certification. Brittany strives to integrate environmental education into her classroom every day and encourages other teachers to do the same. “When I’m not teaching, I enjoy nature walks and visiting parks to photograph and classify plants. I love experiencing nature and learning how it is connected, and I am always engaging my students with that same passion so that they become more environmentally literate adults.”

Brittany says her favorite part of earning her certification was participating in the Schools in Parks Collaborative, a partnership between NC State Parks in the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and the UNC Institute for the Environment. She also enjoyed the Sustainable Forestry Teachers Experience which is provided by the NC Forestry Association.

When asked which certification experience stood out for her, Brittany was learning about the longleaf pine. “I loved each class and experience, but I would have to say learning about the longleaf pine ecosystem from seed to mesh pulp really stands out as something that connects with my daily world. This experience came from my time in the Sustainable Forestry Teachers Institute. I had the privilege of joining the institute in my hometown area and learned so much about the tree mills that are literally a mile from my school. I got to see every aspect of what they do with trees and how they are practicing sustainability.”

For her community partnership project, she built an outdoor classroom for her school. “My students along with members of the community worked together to plant trees and build outdoor plant structures. We completed an outdoor classroom shelter so that any class can take their learning outside. Since then, an environmental class has been added to the school that regularly cleans up the schoolyard and manages the greenspace. The students learned to value their hard work and how to care for a garden.”

Brittany says the program changed her approach to teaching others. “Before the certification program, I did not teach professional development or have the knowledge base and passion to help others in science-based curriculum. Since then, I feel confident and look for an opportunity to teach other professionals. I use my Project Wild and other curriculum guides to provide engaging science lessons that teachers can use inside and outside the classroom. I strive to get my students outside to learn ask questions about what they see when outside. I provide regular lessons from all my curriculum books and my students love being able to simulate the content we are learning. I also take all the pictures and knowledge I gain while at state parks and science museums and make slideshows for my students to view which really gets the excited about having their family then go visit these places.”

Brittany believes that becoming an environmentally conscious person starts when people are young. “It is our job as adults to provide children with the love and compassion for the environment and the living creatures within it. Because if they don't learn to love the planet as a child what is going to make them love it in this fast-paced world of adulthood. As adults we need to find ways to live and work sustainably to protect the environment.”