Educator Spotlight: Jacob Regensburger

Jacob Regensburger, a middle school teacher with the 71^st Classical Middle School in Cumberland County. Jacob teaches 6^th and 7^th grade science and volunteers with Friends of Carvers Creek State Park to help run their programs. In his personal time, he enjoys hiking, photography and reading.

Jacob says his favorite part of the program was the opportunity to see different places in the state. “My favorite part of the program was seeing how diverse an ecology and geography North Carolina has. From the mountains in the west to the coast in the east, you can find many different types of plants, animals and ecosystems.”

When asked if there was an experience that stood out to him, Jacob says it was programs offered through the NC Museum of Natural Sciences. “I first learned about the certification while attending the museum’s Blue Ridge Institute during Covid. My final hours towards certification were earned through another museum institute, their trip to Yellowstone National Park. This was the perfect bookend to my certification experience.”

For my community partnership project, I started an environmental art contest within my school. The focus was on native plants or animals from North Carolina. Our design was sent to Yellow Crayons, a local t-shirt printing business, to create a T-Shirt. The shirts were sold to the student body, and proceeds were donated to the Friends of Carvers Creek State Park. We have already decided to continue the contest next school year, and the Friends group is considering adopting the winning design each year as their official t-shirt.”

Jacob says the program led to changes in his approach to teaching. “Many of my experiences led me to slow down and connect with my environment, as well as the people around me. I find now that I am quicker to slow down and listen before responding, and I teach and encourage my students to do the same. If you have a middle schooler in your life, you know how much they can benefit from slowing down and listening!

Jacob says the program helped his teaching. “I find my practice as a teacher immeasurably improved. Between professional development, curriculum resources, and many new friends and colleagues met through the program, I would not be the teacher I am today without environmental education.”