What was your favorite part of earning your certification? My favorite part of this certification was really the workshops. These gave me an opportunity to network with other environmental educators, but also gave me amazing curriculum to help me get started as an environmental educator.
What certification experience stands out for you? One of my favorite certification experiences was my dendrology lab at NC State University. We spent at least four hours a week outside learning to identify 180 North Carolina tree species. Classes like these that counted towards Criteria II really gave me the necessary foundation to being a knowledgeable educator.
What was your community partnership project and how did it affect the community? I partnered with the NC State Park Scholarship program (a year after graduating) to pilot an annual wilderness retreat. The retreat included five days of backpacking in Shenandoah National Park, and covered environmental education topics such as the origin of National Parks, current issues faced by National Parks, Leave No Trace principles, and outdoor skills. The retreat simultaneously served the community by contributing to several fundamental pillars of the Park program such as character development. The students reported experiencing a great degree of personal development due to team building, problem solving, contact with nature, and reflection. The retreat also served the community by providing a context for scholars to bond across classes.
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