Dorothy Stout Grant Recipients for 2018
Russell is an environmental science teacher at Massanutten Regional Governor's School for Integrated Environmental Science and Technology and an adjunct professor at Lord Fairfax Community College. The grant funds will allow Russell to identify field sites in upstate New York that are geologically equivalent to formations in Virginia. Russell believes that highlighting the similarities and differences between two regions many miles apart will "provide an excellent set of resources helpful for students to visualize long-term environmental change over geological time."
Sara is currently finishing up her 11th year teaching at Waubonsie Valley High School where she teaches Earth Science, Astronomy, and Environmental Science. Sara always tells her students "Earth Science and Environmental Science can be two of the most important classes they can take. Too many people in this world get to adulthood with very little appreciation or understanding of the very world they live on." Sara will use this award to support a field experience opportunity called GEOetc. Led by Gary Lewis who works for the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance, GEOetc. will spend a week in Hilo, HI studying volcanoes and the geology of the region. This trip will involve working as a team to develop ways to bring data back to students, learning inquiry activities that can be implemented in the classroom, and seeing how the geology intersects with engineering and the environment.
Jill is committed to exposing her Ohioan students to the constructive and destructive processes of volcanic activity and is passionate about providing students with hands on learning opportunities. She recently had the opportunity to witness a volcano first hand and plans to use the funding to bring the volcanic experience in the classroom by modeling lahars, building demonstrations models to create an ash cloud, building and using Earth blocks and instituting "shoebox geology" in the classroom.