(Article from the National Park Service website)
The National Park Service is pleased to congratulate the national and regional recipients of the 2023 Excellence in Education Awards. The Excellence in Education Awards recognize outstanding contributions to the profession of education that model excellence through thoughtful engagement of education principles, innovation, and adaptation.
Regional Recipient
Junior Rangers: Ecosystem Explorers!
Heather Berenson
Region 3, 4, 5 (Midwest) | Cuyahoga Valley National Park
The Junior Ranger Ecosystem Explorers program provides field trips where local students learn to think like a scientist and become more comfortable in the outdoors. Many students in Akron Public Schools have never been to Cuyahoga Valley National Park and are uncomfortable in nature.
Akron Public Schools initiated the project with a request to Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Center for assistance with providing place-based programming to all 2nd graders in the district. The schools received funding for a through an annual field trip program funded by the GAR Foundation, which provides awards to nonprofit organizations that serve the Akron community.
The program team worked with field instructors and classroom teachers to develop an activity-based program with a theme of “think like a scientist,” based on a request from teachers to focus on career opportunities. The program also focuses on helping students and teachers increase their comfort in nature. Education center staff provided resources to help the teachers and students prepare for their field trip logistically, socially, emotionally, and academically. This preparation laid the foundation for successful field trip experiences within the park.
All second graders in Akron Public Schools participated in a field trip to the Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Center to practice observational skills in pond and forest ecosystems. Through pond dipping and sifting through forest leaf litter, students learn how to make observations, think things through, and use scientific equipment like hand lenses and nature journals. By the end of the first year, participating teachers rated the program the highest of their annual field trip experiences.
Additional National Park Service Team Members: Kerry Muhl, Penny Uhlenbrock, and Carrie Cooper.
External Team Members: Trisha Kelly, Akron Public Schools; Bronlynn Thurman, GAR Foundation; Katie Wright, Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park; and January Miller, Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park.