Educator Spotlight: Sarah Baldwin

Sarah Baldwin, an elementary school teacher at Brevard Elementary School, recently completed her NC Environmental Education Certification. Sarah has taught for over 20 years. When she isn’t teaching, she enjoys reading, gardening and live music.

Sarah says her favorite part of earning her certification was the instructional workshops. “I loved all the classes I took. It was interesting to me on a personal level, as well as an educator. I feel very enriched by the knowledge gained during my certification.”

The certification experience that stood out to Sarah was the 2024 Ground Level Ozone: Advanced Air Quality workshop facilitated by Keith Bamberger who is an information and communication specialist with the NC Department of Environmental Quality. “I’ve never had air pollution so succinctly explained. Also waking up to the sun rising over the Smoky Mountains was absolutely breathtaking,” says Sarah.

For her community partnership project, Sarah partnered with Erica Brock, the Youth Services Manager at the Transylvania County Library to create a program called EARTHour. The program took place during the 2024 youth summer reading initiative at the Transylvania County Library and included lessons as well as a day of volunteering at Riverfest. Sarah says she saw a need for more environmental education for students in first to sixth grades. “By working with 3rd graders as a teacher, I recognize the need for more environmental education in the curriculum. I contacted Erica at the library who agreed that the programming I had in mind was valuable in supporting their summer reading program. I was able to teach environmental education to a number of different students with a wide range of ages and backgrounds. I hope these students became excited by these lessons and will continue to learn more about the topics.”

Sarah says that the certification program changed her approach to teaching and the way she views environmental issues. “I feel my knowledge base was broadened and deepened and I hope to bring more environmental education into my own classroom whenever I can. The program also made me aware of many formally unfamiliar local and state resources. I'm humbled by the natural beauty of NC.”

 

 

 

Educator Spotlight: Brianne Godwin

Brianne Godwin, an education and outreach specialist with the Roanoke/Cashie River Center in Windsor recently completed her NC Environmental Education Certification.

Brianne works with students and engages the community in events. “I lead students through a variety of science programs related to watersheds, ecosystems, life cycles, honeybees, soils, trees, and so much more. I also get to work with high school students in the area through our Teen Science Cafe program that allows students to explore STEM careers directly from experts who work in a STEM field." She also works with after-school students to develop their observational and critical thinking skills through nature journaling. "We spend our time outside noticing small bits of nature and we share our wonders and connections. The River Center also works closely with the Town of Windsor to provide quarterly community events like the Riverfest in early Spring that celebrates the natural beauty, culture, and people.”

Brianne says her favorite part of the certification program were the instructional workshops. “Each workshop gave me an opportunity to learn a new curriculum, visit an environmental education facility, discuss ideas with other educators, practice lesson implementation, and develop my educator abilities. These workshops became my self-care! I felt rejuvenated after each workshop and was reminded time and again that environmental education is exactly what I want to spend my time doing.”

When asked about an experience that stood out to her, Brianne said it was an experience she had when teaching 5^th grade at a local elementary school before her current position. “I had just taken a Project Learning Tree course and was excited to try out a couple lessons on my students that would support our study of the water cycle. I set up the classroom for the activity,  “Water Wonders” and the students had been prepped on how the activity was run and they got started. After about 10 minutes, I checked in and asked how things were going. Some students were moving to different stations rapidly while others were “stuck” at certain stations. I asked why that was? And a wonderful discussion was created about glaciers and clouds and about why the rain that was currently falling outside could move from place to place faster than water in a glacier. We talked about why rising temperatures could create heavier rainfall. We talked about the influence of fresh water versus salt water on the water cycle. It was so wonderful to see the students’ connection with a natural cycle and to hear their curiosity about this cycle and how humans are influencing it and how it influences humans! Educators always say these are the moments that sustain us, and I couldn’t agree more.”

For her community partnership project, Brianne created a program, “Life of a Honeybee” which explored all aspects of honeybees and was designed to dispel myths and encourage curiosity and intrigue. 

Working with Jean Richter, a retired National Wildlife Refuge biologist and beekeeper, the Cashie Beekeepers Association and the Chowan County Beekeepers, she obtained a honeybee hive, set up bee boxes and an exhibit at the Roanoke/Cashie River Center and provided the programming at local schools, libraries and for the public. The Life of a Honeybee curriculum that Brianne created for the program includes the life cycle of the honeybee, information on how people can help honeybees and the importance of native plants. “We talk about ways to reduce our dependency on pesticides and instead plant native plants that attract other insects that might prey on insects we are trying to kill. Native plants will also provide food sources for many larval stages of other pollinators that increase the biodiversity in a habitat leading to a more balanced and sustainable ecosystem.”

Brianne says the certification program changed her approach to teaching. “I’m much more aware of changing my lessons to be more inclusive for people that have learning differences, sensory or mobility impairments, or language barriers. I do my best to learn from my audiences about how I can better support them.”

Brianne says the program also changed the way she views environmental issues. “My overall feeling of despair regarding the state of the environment has been abated after participating in the certification program. This program has empowered me with the education and experience that I need to make a difference in my community. I truly believe education is key in combating environmental issues. It might not be the quickest or most expansive method, but education is key to lasting engagement.”