Educator Spotlight: Wendi Pillars

Wendi Pillars, a science teacher in Chatham County, recently completed her NC Environmental Education Certification. With three decades of teaching experience both stateside and overseas, she has long been passionate about helping language learners explore science and connect with the outdoors. Her own research experiences in remote regions deepened her commitment to empowering students to be curious, comfortable outside, and ready to make a positive impact.

Her favorite part of the certification was connecting with passionate educators and discovering new parts of North Carolina. “I LOVED meeting like-minded people and learning from locals about their landscapes. It made me feel like an insider to the wonders of each place,” she says.

For her community partnership project, Wendi launched a rain garden initiative at Jordan-Matthews High School, where she taught science and led the Environmental Alliance Club. Supported by the Piedmont Conservation Council and other community organizations, several groups of her students conducted water quality testing over time, performed site analyses, and researched native plants to design a garden that benefits both the environment and their learning. She now teaches science at Silk Hope School, carrying forward her passion for hands-on environmental education with elementary students.

Wendi says the long-term rain garden project raised awareness about water quality and sediment issues while giving students authentic, hands-on learning experiences. “Through water testing and site analysis, students explored real environmental challenges and developed a deeper understanding of human impact,” she explains. “They tested water quality, measured campus surfaces, researched native plants, and used resources like catalogs and agricultural sites to design a garden that supports the local ecosystem.”

The certification program also shifted her teaching. It affirmed and elevated the value of her community-based teaching and strengthened her advocacy for making environmental education essential. “It gave me language and perspective to frame these projects as powerful drivers of student learning and community connection. I also approach teaching with a stronger focus on systems thinking to help students recognize the relationships between human actions, environmental health, and community resilience.” She is now considering becoming a facilitator to expand environmental education in her community.

Wendi says the program also changed the way she views environmental issues. “The program helped galvanize my desire to advocate for teaching environmental issues by understanding them as interconnected challenges that require collaborative solutions. We have much work to do to include consistent environmental learning in all grades in NC, and for it to be incorporated in the science standards with a spiral effect, continually building upon knowledge with each passing year. I’ve also become more optimistic about the role of education in addressing these issues: even small, local projects can spark awareness, build partnerships, and create ripple effects in a community. Now more than ever I view environmental challenges not just as obstacles, but as opportunities to empower learners to contribute meaningfully to their own places.”