The Coconino County Sustainable Economic Development Initiative (SEDI) is pleased to announce the winning teachers of the first annual Sustainability in Education for the 21st Century awards. Three prizes of $500 each were split among four teachers.
The no-strings-attached cash awards were given to teachers or groups of teachers for the development and implementation of lessons, units or projects that reflect and reinforce the principles of sustainability for the 21st century. Luis Melo and Flor Lazano of Puente de Hozho, teachers of grades 2 and 4, shared a $500 prize for their multi-discipline, multi-cultural and combined classes approach to teaching the topic and benefits of local food production. Through the mentorship of the Master Gardener program, their project emphasized the use of local natural materials to enrich the soil and to plant and grow tomatoes.
Whitney Tapia, who teaches 4th grade at Knowles School, received her $500 award for a sustainability-in-education approach that combined stories, classroom activities and field trips. Students visited the recycling plant and the landfill and formed a “Green Club” to do outdoor cleanup and recycling projects.
Rosemary Logan of Flagstaff Arts and Leadership Academy was awarded $500 for working with her 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students to explore how indigenous peoples lived sustainably for thousands of years on the Colorado Plateau. They then applied that knowledge to develop an educational approach to living sustainably now.
Funding for the first year of the awards was provided to SEDI by Wayne and Lynn Fox, Mandy Metzger, Bryan Bates, Joe Costion, Nat White and Bill Morrison.
The purpose of the awards is to encourage and recognize development and implementation of innovative educational approaches that instill in students the importance, value and practicality of local environmental, social and economic aspects of sustainability. The awards were based on innovative approaches, actions taken, and outcomes that demonstrate practical application that empowers action at the local level.
SEDI supports organizations and other entities that work to foster social equity, economic prosperity, and ecological health in Coconino County.
For more information, please contact SEDI Program Coordinator Jaina Moan at Jaina.Moan@gmail.com.