Article by: Jen Young, NGRREC/L&C Marketing and PR, jenryoung@lc.edu
EAST ALTON – Spring brings new possibilities, not
only in nature, but also in the education department at the National Great
Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC).
NGRREC, a
division of Lewis and Clark Community College, recently welcomed two new team
members to the education department, Kathy Fournier and Jen Mandeville.
Fournier joined the team in early January and Mandeville just recently started
in mid-April.
“I love
connecting people to their environment in ways they may not have realized
existed,” Fournier said. “Seeing things from a new perspective can have
significant impacts on groups and individuals and change how they think about
conservation and protecting our planet.”
Fournier works
as the lead educator for the Critical Interface Network project. Her role is to
transform the cutting-edge research into education programs and lessons that
are useful for teachers throughout Illinois to teach earth science. This
position is partially funded through a National Science Foundation grant.
“We are also
working with partners to create a statewide network of earth science teachers
in Illinois,” she said. “This network will increase teachers’ confidence for
teaching earth science in all grades.”
Mandeville, the
new Swarovski Waterschool educator, is responsible for planning, developing and
delivering the Waterschool curriculum to teachers throughout the Mississippi
River watershed.
“The best part
about my job is working with community members of all ages on watershed issues
and helping people discover the natural world around them,” Mandeville said.
“Bringing on two
highly experienced environmental educators will allow us not only to expand our
education and outreach programs, but will also bring fresh ideas and innovative
programming to the center,” said Director of Environmental Education Sarah
Fisher. “We are overjoyed to have both Kathy and Jen join our team.”
With the
addition of Fournier and Mandeville, NGRREC education staff aim to teach water
education programming to more students throughout the region.
To learn more
about NGRREC’s environmental education programs visit http://www.ngrrec.org/Education or email NGRRECEducation@lc.edu.
National
Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC℠)
Founded
in 2002 as a collaborative partnership between the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign and Lewis and Clark Community College, NGRREC is dedicated to
the study of great river systems and the communities that use them. The center
aspires to be a leader in scholarly research, education, and outreach related
to the interconnectedness of large rivers, their floodplains, watersheds, and
their associated communities.