Editor’s Note: This is part 2 of a 3 part series on the recipients of the 2010 Alumni Association Educator’s Grant.

“The best way to learn is to become a teacher,” said Julie Scott ’05, Aquinas alumna, Sand Lake Elementary science teacher, and recipient of a 2010 Aquinas Alumni Association Educator’s Grant. Piano instructor turned science teacher, Scott plans to implement hands-on education through research of Kent District Library’s prairie garden, a specialized ecosystem designed for the ecological purification of Sand Lake. Aware of the severity of the lake’s pollution, Scott applied for the grant to “give students the opportunity to apply lessons learned in the classroom to serve their community.” With the assistance of the grant, Scott will begin work to maintain and further the plan through a picture field guide on the KDL website and later, additional projects to involve the community in the purification effort.

Despite Scott’s current interest in science and research, she began her career by pursuing her long-held passion for music. “I played piano from the time I was really little,” said Scott. “When I was in my teens, people started casually asking me if I would teach them and I decided to give it a try.” After her education at Ferris State University where she earned an associate’s degree with a major in business, Scott opened a music studio out of her home where she taught piano to pupils of all ages. As her small studio grew to include over 50 students, Scott decided to return to school and earn her degree in education. “I was basically running a music school out of my home,” said Scott. “My husband encouraged me to go back to school and get my teaching certificate.”

As she began to search for schools, Scott was pleasantly surprised by the welcome she received from Continuing Education Admissions and Academic Advisor Diane Dehn and other staff members who were dedicated to make her dream a reality. “I was very impressed and the choice of where I was going to school was a no-brainer,” she said. After beginning at AQ in 2000, Scott worked toward a Bachelor of Arts with a major in language arts, a minor in music teaching, and a teaching endorsement for grades K-5.

Shortly after her student teaching experience at Sand Lake, Scott obtained her job when a science position at the school became available. Though this subject was not an initial interest for Scott, she immediately decided to pursue her science endorsement.

“I really enjoy the hands on teaching and creativity involved with being an elementary science teacher. It is a perfect fit for me,” she said. After learning of the prairie garden from fellow Sand Lake teacher Melanie Gould, the two educators contacted KDL master naturalist Laurie Grant, who began leading educational tours of the garden. “Laurie’s a dream,” said Scott. “She is great with kids and she knows her plants!”

As the project evolved, Scott, Gould, and Grant saw the need to create a picture field guide for the prairie in order to “inform residents of the importance of natural ecosystems, such as the prairie, and invite them to join us in becoming stewards of our ecosystem.” Thus, the project required additional funding to photograph the area and develop a working website. After applying for the Aquinas Grant in November, 2010 to fund the project, Scott was notified in December that she had become one of four teachers to receive the grant for a specialized education project.

In addition to the environmental results, Scott looks forward to a unique learning experience for her elementary students. “This project gives students the opportunity to apply lessons learned in the classroom to serve their community,” she said.

As the project continues, Scott anticipates the positive effects of students assuming a teaching role. “Students will be expected to teach the adults in our community why this garden is worth saving,” said Scott. In the future, she hopes to further the plan by creating handicap accessible pathways, marking key plants for identification, and removing invader species. Through the assistance of the Aquinas Grant, Scott has implemented an effective project to widen the scope of student experience and create positive lasting effects in the Sand Lake environment and the surrounding community.