I am grateful to work with a district that values outdoor education and our community.”

Margie Brennan, Portsmouth's K-8 science coach

PORTSMOUTH — Margie Brennan, the Portsmouth school district’s K-8 science instruction coach, is in rare company.

She’s one of only nine teachers in the United States to receive the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2023 Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators (PIAEE).

The award, given in partnership with the White House Council on Environmental Quality, recognizes, supports, and brings public attention to the outstanding environmental projects performed by teachers who go beyond textbook instruction to incorporate methods and materials that utilize creative experiences and enrich student learning in K-12 education. 

“It was a really nice surprise,” said Brennan while working with Portsmouth Middle School students at the Portsmouth AgInnovation Farm, which is one — but certainly not the only — innovative STEAM-based learning project she has her hand in. “I was nominated by our Region 1 EPA person, and I didn’t really expect it. There were only nine people who got it in the nation. Of the nine, two are from Region 1 — a woman from West Greenwich (Gwynne Millar of Exeter West Greenwich High School) and me.”

At the middle school, Brennan met with the Eastern RI Conservation District to improve her students’ education through outdoor and project-based learning. Thanks to this partnership, Brennan had access to a six-acre plot of land at Cloverbud Ranch half a mile from the school on Jepson Lane. 

There, she developed an after-school program dedicated to teaching students about land development with an environmental focus. For eight weeks, she and 25 of the school’s students created five areas of interest on this land: a garden area, a high tunnel, a solar energy area, and irrigation area, and a chicken area. 

After encouraging the students to research information about these areas, the Portsmouth AgInnovation Farm was born, and by June 2022, students completed the construction of each area. Today, the Portsmouth AgInnovation Farm engages with 75 students each year (including high school students) and is preparing to offer educational field trips to students hoping to work on the farm for hands-on learning.

“Connections to nature improve our physical and emotional health while applying critical thinking to our everyday learning,” Brennan said. “Students learn best when outside and learn to have a healthy respect for nature and our food source. This creates sustainability as the hope will be that they grow up and work in a field that will help the environment, the community, and the next generation of learners.

“I am grateful to work with a district that values outdoor education and our community. It is an honor to receive this award and I would like to thank my administration, my colleagues, my students, and families who have supported my efforts in outdoor education and connections to environmental organizations on Aquidneck Island.”

Brennan said the farm couldn’t have been made possible without the support and work of certain key people, such as Sara Churgin, district manager for the Eastern Rhode Island Conservation District, and Churgin’s staff; her partner at the farm, Lisa Brew; Ryan Brancato, a part-time farm manager and partner; and Martin Beck of Cloverbud Ranch, who offered up the land for the student-run farm.

“Without them, it’s not happening. Also, the support of the community has been amazing. They’re really good at getting the kids excited to be outside and growing. They help us show the kids the importance of the farm and why agriculture is so important,” Brennan said.

Not just farming

The farm is only one reason why Brennan received the presidential award, however. She was also recognized for the following:

• supporting teachers to enrich curriculum to embrace STEAM careers.

• starting an enrichment program using drones and other resources to help environmental disasters such as wildfires, earthquakes, lost boats at sea, and medical drops.

• connecting nonprofit organizations to grade K-8 in order to build strong partnerships.

• creating after-school programs to teach students to become independent problem-solvers.

Brennan received some funding as part of the award, and plans on putting it right back into the farm as well as her drone program, which operates the small flying machines both inside and outside. “I bought a curriculum called Drone Legends. Each lesson shows how the drones are used for environmental purposes — putting out a brush fire, delivering medicine, finding people in the ocean,” she said.

“The extraordinary achievements of Margaret Brennan and Gwynne Millar are remarkable in scope,” said EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash. “They have tackled relevant, environmental challenges in their communities, inspired students, and helped prepare for a more sustainable, inclusive and hopeful future. We thank them for their hard work preparing the environmental leaders of tomorrow.”