The PRIDE Environmental Education Outreach Program reflects PRIDE’s commitment to showing students why and how they should take personal responsibility for the local environment. The program engages students by sending a PRIDE environmental education coordinator into classrooms to lead fun activities that prepare them for state science tests and life-long environmental stewardship.

Goal
To increase the environmental knowledge of our children by providing a PRIDE-related environmental education lesson that is tied to Kentucky Core Content.

Objectives

• To target 3rd through 5th grade students. An emphasis will be made on 4th grade students due to CATS testing at the 4th grade level in science.
• To involve students in cleanup activities on their school campus and in their community.

Implementation

• PRIDE offers the program in its 38-county service area. To participate, each county pays a program fee and local schools commit to implementing the program in cooperation with PRIDE staff. (Reminder: To use state litter abatement funds to support this program, counties must first obtain approval from the State Division of Waste Management.)
• When a county pays the program fee, each school superintendent in that county is then contacted for approval to start the program. The superintendents are asked to encourage schools to accommodate a schedule that allows the PRIDE education coordinator to visit classrooms every other month.
• PRIDE selects the lessons that will be presented to the students. A different environmental related topic is covered each month. Each lesson is tied to the Kentucky Core Content.
• Once counties and school districts give their support and the lessons are chosen, the schools are contacted to start arranging presentation times.

Sample Lesson Topics

• Recycling
• Solid waste issues and litter
• Water quality
• Wildlife, plant and animal habitat
• Energy
• Wetlands

Reporting Results
PRIDE supplies participating counties with the number of students visited and the lessons presented. This information can be sent quarterly.

PRIDE Staff Qualifications
Sara Gilbert joined the PRIDE staff as an environmental education coordinator in 2004. In this position, she has led hands-on lessons, cleanup activities and stream walks with students and scout groups. Before Sara came to PRIDE, she worked as the Saving Appalachian Resources liaison for Knox County. Sara earned her B.S. degree in Wildlife Management from Eastern Kentucky University and has completed the Kentucky State Environmental Education Certification Program for non-formal educators.

For More Information
To learn more about the PRIDE Environmental Education Outreach Program, please call the PRIDE office at 888.577.4339 or e-mail Jennifer Johnson.