Conservation Teachers of the Year

Mass Audubon recently honored educators from New Bedford and Attleboro as 2022 Conservation Teachers of the Year. Our regional honorees included Jocelyn Chin, who teaches grades 5-8 at Our Sisters’ School in New Bedford and the Fifth Grade Team at Coelho Middle School in Attleboro. The awards, which come with $1,000 gifts to be used to support the teachers’ programs, were presented at Mass Audubon’s Annual Meeting, which took place at the Museum of Science in Boston on Wednesday, November 2.
As Head of the Science Department at Our Sister’s’ School, Jocelyn Chin has overseen and been directly involved with students in hands-on learning, including installing an outdoor classroom, greenhouse, and gardens to deepen their understanding of curriculum. She has also urged students to be justice focused and community engaged, including organizing a campaign to ban balloon releases in the City of New Bedford.
Coelho Middle School science teacher Brenda Ciccio and her Attleboro colleagues worked with their students to develop a Junior Conservationists program to focus on place-based science and civics lessons. This interdisciplinary program also aligns with appropriate state science standards, and incorporates inquiry and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics) educational techniques for real-world learning. 

Mass Audubon Senior Director of Education and Engagement Kris Scopinich said the 2022 honorees “have demonstrated teaching excellence in science and civics; a deep appreciation for connecting to community; and are emblematic of educators across the Commonwealth who understand that science can help students better understand the world as the climate changes—and take action to make a difference for our future.”