Congratulations to Kathleen Herron on her EE Certification!
Congratulations to Kathleen Herron on earning her Virginia Environmental Educator Certification! As our first candidate to earn her certification who has not served on the Certification Advisory Board, she is a trailblazer, and her dedication to her craft was regularly apparent during her time in the Certification Program.
Let’s get to know Kathleen a little better.
Tell us a bit about your work.
“I am an elementary teacher, and I am getting ready to begin Year 30 of my career. I have taught every grade between Preschool – Grade 6, and I am beginning my 10th year as an Elementary Science Resource Teacher. My role includes teaching STEAM, leading the Science program, serving as the Get2Green Leader, managing our 6 outdoor learning spaces, and leading our Eco-Action program (Eco-Schools US).
I want students to be part of their own learning: students design their own gardens, plan and execute Science experiments, use technology in real-world applications, become confident communicators, and/or handle fossils/plants/animals. I want students to learn from experts in the field, so I use emails, phone calls, or Zoom calls to make that happen. I am very passionate, and I empower my students to advocate for themselves.
We earned our first Eco-Schools USA Green Flag in Spring 2020, and we earned our second one in Spring 2022. In Fall 2023, we transitioned to the Eco-Schools US program, and our students designed another school-wide Action Plan to make school-wide changes that are positive and proactive. We were one of 136 schools in the USA to earn a Green Flag during the 2023-2024 school year.
We work with community members to have a wider reach. That sometimes means we have support coming to Riverside ES (e.g. Arcadia Farms coming to help us plant). Other times, we help others (e.g. donating Common Milkweed or Monarch caterpillars to a nearby school). All of Riverside Elementary School’s students are Eco-Action Team Members, which means they start in Preschool to learn how to care for our outdoor spaces. We have been doing this work since 2016, and I am proud to see how our confident students are participating in programs in their middle schools and high schools.”
“Our students are role models, problem solvers, and future leaders. I’m proud to be the first step on their journey.”
What drew you to complete Virginia’s Environmental Education Certification Program?
“In the beginning, I signed up by mistake. I thought I was signing up for an Environmental Education Endorsement towards my VDOE Teaching Certificate. I quickly learned there were so many things that I didn’t know about Environmental Education, and my role as a classroom teacher was a small part of the overall reach of Environmental Education. My introduction activity was an online meeting series with our cohort members, and most of them were not [classroom] educators. I realized this opportunity would allow me to collaborate with experts, and I would have to get out of my comfort zone. Once I understood the scope of the program, I was committed to the program and challenged myself to finish.”
“I realized this opportunity would allow me to collaborate with experts, and I would have to get out of my comfort zone.”
Tell us about your Community Capstone Project.
“I envisioned a school-wide Earth Week with the main focus on Engagement. My question: How can I get more students and staff to participate in our Earth Week activities? Our Eco-Action Team Captains met to create lists of recommended activities for the teachers and students. I collaborated with teachers to confirm their progress with Science instruction and their interests in optional activities. 6th Grade students wanted a special day about solar energy to be included in Earth Week, and they wrote a business letter to their teachers to request an alternative day of learning (Energy Day). I connected with community members to arrange for resources and/or learning opportunities for our students. Once all of this frontloading was finished, the planning could begin. In previous years, our participation was limited to the Get2Green colors of the day (different t-shirt colors), Morning Broadcast, and a small group of teachers reading or working in the garden. 2024 was going to be different, and the planning stage became more like a trip around the world. The final result didn’t even resemble my initial plan.
A week and half before Earth Week, teachers received a digital hyperdoc of schedules, links, and lists. 6th Grade teachers got a menu of lessons for their Energy Day. Teachers also received paper copies of optional activities, lessons, and rules for the Door Decoration Contest. Earth Week began with the Door Decoration Contest, and secret judges submitted their feedback. Our Eco-Action Team Captains made the final vote, and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners received certificates, ribbons, and prices. The activity infused excitement throughout the school! We have never had so many students wear the Get2Green colors of the day. I knew things were going to be magnificent when I heard students boasting that they were ‘part of Riverside’s Earth Week.’ The Mystery Art Scavenger Hunt was a huge hit since art pieces were hidden around the school and in our garden spaces, and teachers submitted class boards to earn certificates. Each grade level had special events throughout the week, and some were scheduled and others were according to the teachers’ schedules. Preschool teachers were able to use chalk, bubbles, shakers, art supplies, etc. to allow their students to be part of our school-wide week of learning.”
“Highlighted Activities: On Monday, 6th Grade had a Zoom call with an Energy Specialist and a parent, and we discussed how solar panels are sustainable and financially responsible. Kindergarten and First Grade had an Outdoor Festival with bubbles, chalk, and yard games. On Tuesday and Wednesday, our 4th and 5th Graders worked with Stormwater Management to build a new pollinator garden. (This was later named the Sunshine Sanctuary.) On Thursday, 3rd Graders expanded their understanding of Soil with a Google Meets session; they were able to ask questions with a Soil Specialist and do a virtual tour of the Virginia Tech Soil Testing Lab. Also on Thursday, 2nd Graders were excited to have a Google Meets session with a Robotics researcher; they had just built robots with recycled materials, but now they were able to do a virtual tour the of Virginia Tech’s Terrestrial Robotics Engineering and Controls Lab. On Friday, Kindergarten concluded the week with a Paper Bag Fashion Show.
Our staff and students were thrilled with the week, and some students even admitted that they didn’t want Friday to come because they didn’t want Earth Week to end. Our Eco-Action Team Captains were able to finalize the Green Flag application the next week, and they were able to connect their planning with the final event. School staff have suggested that they want this school-wide event to happen more than one time, so we are planning to have a smaller event during National Earth Science Week (October 14-18, 2024) with the larger event during Earth Week (April 21-25, 2025). My new question: How can I recruit additional Green Team Members to support and expand our activities to support student Engagement?”
