L to R: Elena Kayak (Energy/Environmental Specialist for Rio Rancho Public Schools), Barbara Garrity (Executive Director of EEANM), Taylor Mayer, Cathy Gaarden (Principal of Sandia Vista Elementary School), and Jean Szymanski (Regional Conservation Ed. Coordinator, USFS)
Taylor Mayer, first grade teacher from Sandia Vista Elementary School in Rio Rancho, received the 2014 NM PLT Outstanding Educator Award.
Her nominator, Amy Waymire, provided this description of her work at school:
“Taylor received Planet Learning Tree training in the fall of 2013. Since this time, she has integrated a number of practices and projects into her curriculum at school. In addition to this, she established and led Sandia Vista Elementary’s first green team for staff and an additional after-school club for students. The staff green team has allowed Taylor to share many of the lessons and curriculum she has developed using the PLT training she received.
One piece of education that has benefited a number of classrooms is the compost system she started. This allowed our classrooms to collect our organic waste from lunch and create compost for our community garden. Taylor shared a number of CCSS aligned lessons from PLT to facilitate learning about composting.
In addition, Taylor has used the PLT curriculum to facilitate the student Green Team club she started following her training. Each week, the students in this club explore environmental education through hands on projects and community service based on PLT lessons. Taylor’s enthusiasm and leadership towards environmental education has attracted over 30 students from our school to join this club. She has also engaged many of the staff members through this effort as well.
She has brought awareness and education to the staff and greatly increased the participation of staff in environmental education. We greatly value Taylor as an educator at Sandia Vista Elementary and commend her commitment to environmental education and the contributions she has made as a result of her PLT training.”