BIO

A:
I began my teaching career at age 39 when I was hired as the secondary science teacher at Cascade High School in 1989. The road to this turning point in my life had followed many paths and lasted twenty years. It began in 1969, when I enrolled at the University of Idaho right out of high school, pursuing a degree in Biology, Botany and Zoology. My decision to study science resulted from a lifetime love of the outdoors, solving problems and discovery. During my senior year, literally a semester short of graduating, I began to question my chosen career path. Most of the research jobs I dreamed about were located in big cities and universities, but I wanted to live my life in rural Idaho, close to my family and the outdoors. I quit school to re-evaluate my choices, and during this respite, my wife and I had our first children, twin daughters born 6 weeks premature. Their birth put us deep in debt and I took a logging job to pay the bills. A dozen years later, I was still falling trees, unable to get ahead financially and dissatisfied with my work. Encouraged by my friends and family, I decided to go back to school and get a science teaching degree, which would allow me to pursue my love of science and remain in rural Idaho. Two years later I graduated, and took one of the first positions I was offered, the secondary science teaching post at Cascade High School. I have been there ever since.

I have always been concerned about the quality of education in our schools. Memorizing facts and dates is all very well, but it is the ability to evaluate data, ask questions and solve problems that is the true hallmark of an educated person. I jokingly tell my students that if they don't make informed, responsible decisions as voters, my future and my children's future will be in jeopardy; I teach so their decisions will lead to a bright future for my family. Of course, if I have done my job to the best of my ability, their educated, informed and responsible decisions will result first and foremost in a bright future for themselves.

Q:
Describe your greatest contributions and accomplishments in education.

A:
My greatest accomplishments as a teacher are reflected in the successes of my students. They have traveled to Australia to build a life-support system in an underwater habitat for an aquanaut who was afterwards named the Australian National Geographic Explorer of the Year. They have isolated and cultured an undocumented species of thermophilic bacteria from a local hot springs, designing DNA primers and amplifying the genes via PCR. They have built and tested a cutting edge technology - the Bio-coil, a photosynthetic bioreactor using algae - to remove nutrients from waste water and scrub CO2 from the atmosphere, and are now modifying it to generate biodiesel. They have constructed walking trails with educational signage and built a fish-viewing aquarium and wheelchair access at a local fishing pond. They have planted wild rice and willows in wetlands to remove nutrients from streams and championed noxious weed removal across Idaho. They have performed E. coli source analysis to identify causes of poor water quality, planted monarch butterfly habitats, taught a trout-in-the-classroom project to elementary students and led water awareness days for students throughout central Idaho. My students have talked about their work to the Idaho Legislature and Idaho State Department of Education, worked with scientists who are leaders in their fields, and competed (and won) at competitions such as the Seiko Youth Challenge, Eisenhower National Clearninghouse for Science and Mathematics, and Intermountain Junior Science and Humanities Symposia at the University of Utah. They have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to implement their projects and leave a visible, lasting legacy in the community. Their enthusiasm, creativity and achievements keep me teaching.

PHILOSOPHY OF TEACHING

Q:
Describe your beliefs about teaching.

A:
I have a great desire to bring real life research and applied science to my students through a project-based science curriculum. As a teacher, my job is to provide opportunities for students to work on projects of their choice, motivate them to do quality work that will become a legacy for others to continue, and mentor them so they can be successful on their own terms. My students are real scientists. By teaching a foundation of scientific knowledge and then providing an opportunity to practice hands-on, inquiry-based science projects in the real world, I am imbuing my students with scientific literacy. The process and outcomes of their projects are so much more meaningful than a grade on a report card or standardized test score. Students gain an enormous amount of respect for their capabilities from peers, parents, the community, scientists and national organizations. Most importantly, they come to respect themselves by realizing that their projects and solutions are practical, valid and even sought after by professionals.

My experiences have taught me two things about educating young people: never underestimate their ability to accomplish difficult tasks and never hold them back. Give them the freedom to explore the world and be creative. Their insight can provide solutions that adults overlook.

Q:
Describe the rewards you find in teaching.

A:
The greatest reward in teaching is helping students actually do science. I give students ownership of their own education, fostering personal responsibility, persistence and dependability in a real-world setting. They sense the value in their education because the community benefits from the tangible results of their project. Students take ownership of their own education because they choose the direction of their studies. Furthermore, they sense the value in their education because their community benefits from the tangible environmental results of their projects. With success, the projects build a momentum of their own, generating pride within the community for the students and school. The rewards and recognition that the students receive motivate them to do quality work and help older participants recruit younger students to continue their projects, ensuring that the legacy continues. Students are proud to make a difference in their world.

Q:
How are your beliefs about teaching demonstrated in your personal teaching style?

A:
I first teach students a foundational knowledge in scientific concepts through 10th and 11th grade Biology and Chemistry. These students then "graduate" to my Advanced Biology and Advanced Research Lab classes, where I employ a hands-on project-based curriculum. The overarching theme of both classes is simple: students do research and develop projects that address environmental issues important in their lives. Many students have worked on improving Cascade Reservoir's water quality, but others have explored projects ranging from eradication of noxious weeds and riverbank abatement to the production of alternative fuels and genetic sequencing of bacteria growing in a local hot springs. In order to implement these projects, the students must first build working partnerships with community leaders and professionals who help and guide them. The partnerships have long-lasting effects, as collaborators realize what students are capable of accomplishing. In return, students learn about the complexities of negotiating conflicting business needs, politics and science in order to find and implement solutions to environmental problems. The students also find funding to implement their projects by writing grants or gathering donations. The ultimate outcomes of the projects are dependent solely on the enthusiasm and willingness of the students to work hard, secure funding and explore new ideas.

PARTNER STATEMENT

The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), the largest professional organization in the world promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning, has announced the recipients of its 2009 Teacher Awards Program, which honors K-12 teachers, professors, principals, and other educators for their outstanding achievement and innovative programs in science education.

Clinton Kennedy, a teacher, at Cascade High School, in Cascade, ID, was awarded the SeaWorld/Busch Gardens Environmental Educator of the Year award. The award recognizes and rewards one outstanding environmental educator/leader out of eight award winning programs selected to receive the SeaWorld/Busch Gardens Environmental Excellence Award. Clint will receive his award at a special banquet and ceremony at NSTA's 57th National Conference on Science Education in New Orleans.
In Kennedy's Bio-Coil: The Sewage Sisters and Beyond project, his advanced biology students use a photosynthetic bioreactor coil to improve water and air quality and provide an alternative energy solution for the school district's buses. With his support and guidance, his students have obtained thousands of dollars in grant funding for the project, have presented their findings at an NSTA conference, and have formed local, statewide, national, and international partnerships with scientists, government officials, and businesses. Kennedy's school and district have endorsed this award-winning curriculum that enables students to take the course for several years and focus on one scientific/environmental community-based project.

"NSTA awardees represent the best and brightest in science education," said Page Keeley, president, NSTA. "We congratulate these outstanding educators and principals for their lifelong commitment to science education and for their innovative and creative approach to teaching our students science."

NSTA encourages science educators to apply for its 2010 Teacher Awards. Applications and information can be found online at http://www.nsta.org/about/awards.aspx.

About NSTA
The Arlington, VA-based National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), www.nsta.org, is the largest professional organization in the world promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all. NSTA's current membership includes more than 58,000 science teachers, science supervisors, administrators, scientists, business and industry representatives, and others involved in science education.