Network Manager Wins North American Award
Teacher and Network Manager of CBEEN, Laura Jackman, has been recognized internationally for her dedicated efforts to support and advance environmental education across Canada and beyond.
She is this year’s recipient of the prestigious North American Award of Excellence for Outstanding Service to Environmental Education, which was presented at the national conference on Friday, October 9.
Throughout her teaching career, Jackman has focused on creating practical, hands-on outdoor learning opportunities for students while helping fellow teachers integrate environmental stewardship into their classrooms.
Laura serves our Network Manager for the past several years. In this pivotal role, she coordinates the Environmental Education Leadership Clinic to offer mentorship to emerging outdoor educators, as well as the annual Retreat for Educators, delivering an impact that reverberates across provincial borders. Additionally, she manages the Wild Voices for Kids Program, connecting classrooms with community organizations so thousands of students can participate in meaningful, curriculum-connected outdoor experiences each year.
At her school in Rossland, British Columbia, Jackman worked to secure grants to help reestablish a small wetland on a one-acre parcel of adjacent land. This site has since become a shared outdoor classroom where more than 250 students now receive weekly science instruction. She also introduced a school food garden and organized school-wide events to help students connect directly with their local environment—modelling innovative practices that are now being adopted by educators across the country.
Believing in the value of shared teaching practices, Jackman regularly facilitates opportunities to help colleagues discover new outdoor resources and build confidence teaching outside. Her efforts to support fellow educators extend to her role as Vice President of the Environmental Educators’ Provincial Specialist Association (EEPSA), further amplifying her mission to institutionalize outdoor education standards on a macro scale.
