GARRISON – Rachel Arbor, a director of Environmental Education and Science Teacher in the Garrison Union Free School District, has demonstrated her dedication to inspiring students and fostering a deep sense of environmental stewardship and as such been presented with an EPA Presidential Award.
The award said she possesses a unique ability to create interdisciplinary projects that challenge students to understand practical environmental concepts, and she effectively tailors the classroom curriculum to cater to diverse age groups, spanning from pre-K to eighth-grade students.
“Ms. Arbor has a unique and innovative approach to teaching, and she incorporates different lesson types that allow her students to spend time in nature. Supporting the social-emotional needs and environmental connection of each student is important to Ms. Arbor. To assess these factors, Ms. Arbor had her students complete a survey before and after one of her classroom activities, and the results indicated strong improvements in mood while decreasing stress levels,” the award states.
Recently, she coordinated a Youth Climate Summit for students across New York and Connecticut. This event featured nationally recognized speakers and experts in the field, and students had the opportunity to conduct long-term research projects centered on sustainability, which they presented to their peers and the public.
“Ms. Arbor’s impact on her students and the community is also demonstrated through her work on the school’s nutrition program and food waste, her leadership role in interdisciplinary environmental science and professional development work, and her submission of two papers for publication on the impact of environmental education on students,” the award said. “Her students are actively involved in creative environmental projects; for example, they organized a clothing swap as an opportunity to share with the public the negative impact of fast fashion and provide solutions through sustainable fashion, and they started a pollinator garden at the district campus to educate the public on monarch migration and the importance of pollinators. Ms. Arbor makes a significant effort to incorporate environmental science into the broader school curriculum at her school and makes learning about these topics fun and engaging for students of all ages.”
