Ellen is a longtime, active member of the Rhode Island Geography Education Alliance and a seasoned veteran of the 4th grade classroom. She has enjoyed incredible study tours to New Zealand, China, Japan, England, and British Columbia on Fulbright and other grants and loves sharing these experiences with kids and colleagues. Presently she volunteers at Roger Williams Park Zoo, teaches classes on English Afternoon Tea and serves as Rhode Island’s Geography Awareness Week Coordinator.

Every year here in Rhode Island, when Geography Awareness Week is on the horizon, the Rhode Island Geography Education Alliance (RIGEA) tries to come up with something motivating and fun to involve kids and adults in the year’s theme. One year we had a cooking contest, another time we held a dinner with the menu coordinating with the GAW theme. This year we decided to focus on the creative arts, so in October we announced a “Rhody Freshwater and YOU” contest. Entrants were asked to create something which represented a form of Rhode Island freshwater and then explain what that particular freshwater meant to them.

We were excited to receive quite a few entries, and although the contest was open to any Rhode Islander, all the entries came from either elementary or middle school students. The elementary students sent in projects which seemed to emphasize freshwater conservation, while the middle school students reflected more on specific rivers or lakes or ponds that had provided them with fond memories.

We are pleased to see so many Rhode Island kids learning about freshwater and growing up to be careful consumers of this limited resource.

Continue reading Ellen’s full post on her blog!
http://bluewillowjournal.typepad.com/blog/2010/11/full-circle.html