 The Pulaski County School System’s gifted students are teaching their peers and adults about the environment, thanks to a partnership between PRIDE and the Pulaski Gifted Center. So far, they have mentored over 500 students, and they will reach hundreds of people during presentations at Wal-Mart in February and March.
In December, approximately 180 fifth-grade gifted students taught the district’s 500 fourth-graders about the “three Rs” — Reducing, Reusing and Recycling. PRIDE representatives visited the Gifted Center to help the fifth-graders understand the topics and prepare exhibits to share their knowledge. Elizabeth Morrow, Pulaski County’s PRIDE Environmental Education Liaison, accompanied the students when they made their presentations.
Over four Fridays, beginning Feb. 26, the county’s fourth-grade gifted students will educate Wal-Mart customers about the importance of recycling, the effects of plastic on the environment and the benefits of using eco-friendly shopping bags. They worked with PRIDE representatives to develop a Power Point presentation, video, brochure and exhibit boards. This unique outreach project was made possible by a Wal-Mart grant secured by Mardi Montgomery, the Pulaski County School Board’s Director of Special Program, in collaboration with Lynn Ashbrook and Cindy Merrick, co-directors of the Pulaski Gifted Center.
“It will be amazing to learn the number of Wal-Mart customers from our community that will be educated on environmental issues as these students conduct their presentations,” Ashbrook said.
Ashbrook and Merrick appreciated PRIDE’s collaborative effort on the mentoring and outreach projects. “The PRIDE representatives were knowledgeable and very effective in working with students. The information received by the students was exceptional,” Merrick said.
“The students were very attentive and seemed to want to learn more and more,” said Morrow. “Working with children that show such enthusiasm towards the environment made teaching and helping them a great experience for everyone! I enjoyed working with the Gifted Center. Ms. Merrick and Ms. Ashbrook were very accommodating and a pleasure to work with.”
“This collaboration shows that a few PRIDE representatives and educators can empower hundreds of students to change our environment,” said Jennifer Johnson, PRIDE Program Director. “There’s great ‘bang for the buck’ when schools partner with PRIDE.”
The Pulaski Gifted Center brings together the gifted fourth and fifth graders from Pulaski County School System’s eight elementary schools. In biweekly rotations, the students experience hands-on lessons in science, technology, engineering and math. This school year, the emphasis of study is environmental and biomedical engineering, and the center turned for assistance to the PRIDE Environmental Education Outreach Program.
The PRIDE Environmental Outreach Program is available to Pulaski County, Somerset and Science Hill Schools through a partnership with the Pulaski County Fiscal Court. The program increases children’s environmental knowledge by providing lessons tied to Kentucky Core Content and involving students in cleanup activities. Liaisons take the program to third through fifth grade classes, with an emphasis on fourth-graders who are tested on science in the state’s annual CATS testing. Since November, Morrow has taught 26 instruction hours with 406 local elementary students on a variety of environmental topics.
PRIDE promotes “Personal Responsibility In a Desirable Environment” in 38 counties of southern and eastern Kentucky. Founded by Congressman Hal Rogers, PRIDE is headquartered at The Center for Rural Development in Somerset.
For the schedule of presentations at Wal-Mart, please call Mardi Montgomery at 606.679.1123. For more information about PRIDE, please contact the PRIDE office at 606.677.6150 or PRIDE@centertech.com.
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