Washington, D.C. – Project Learning Tree (PLT), the environmental education program of the American Forest Foundation, named Brenda Smith of Oil City, Louisiana, a 2006 National Outstanding Educator of the Year.  Smith is one of five environmental educators selected nationwide and will receive her award on May 9 during PLT’s 20th International Coordinators’ Conference, May 8-12, in Virginia Beach, VA.  The award honors educators who demonstrate a strong commitment to environmental education, exceptional teaching skills, and exemplary use of PLT.

Smith teaches fourth grade math, science, and environmental science at Oil City Elementary Magnet School, one of four PLT certified schools in Louisiana. Five years ago, Oil City Elementary faced dropping enrollment numbers and low performance measures.  To address this situation staff and faculty dedicated their educational focus to an environmental science theme and the entire faculty was trained in PLT.  Smith was instrumental in implementing this plan and staff professional development.  New and refresher PLT workshops have been held every year to follow up on activity use, introduce new materials, and train new faculty members. 

“Oil City Elementary Magnet is a PLT certified school that incorporates the theme of environmental science throughout the curriculum,” said principal Mike Irvin.  “PLT has played a major role in helping turn the school around.  I see Brenda using PLT activities and teaching strategies every day with her students and her fourth grade classes are the flagship of our program.”  In 2001, before Smith began using PLT, 38 percent of her fourth grade students scored in the basic to proficient level on the science portion of the state and national standardized tests and 62 percent fell in the unsatisfactory category.  In 2005, 4 percent had reached the advanced level, 63 percent are now considered proficient, and just 33 percent remained in the unsatisfactory category.

Outside the classroom, Smith has taken her PLT training a step further by writing and receiving several grants for her students to participate in a variety of educational and community service projects at the school and throughout the community.  The school grounds now house a greenhouse, three outdoor classrooms, a nature trail, and a Louisiana native tree arboretum.

In 2003, Smith secured a grant for a pavilion on the shores of Lake Caddo and helped her students design educational kiosks that describe the lake’s history and its value to the environment and community.  The pavilion is used by the public, area schools, and her school’s students as a base for conducting water quality tests and other science experiments.

For more information please contact Brigitte Johnson, Director of Communications, 202.463.5163, email bjohnson@forestfoundation.org or visit PLT at www.plt.org.

Project Learning Tree (PLT) is the environmental education program of the American Forest Foundation. PLT uses the forest as a “window on the world” to increase students’ understanding of our complex environment and to help students learn the skills they need to make sound choices about the environment.  Developed in 1976, PLT has an international network of more than 500,000 trained educators using six curricula covering the total environment.  The American Forest Foundation, a nonprofit organization, works for healthy forests, quality environmental education, and informed decision-making about our communities and our world.

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