Conducting research for sake of student well-being and environmental literacy
Research by Global Field Program (GFP) graduate Rachel Arbor '23 of Beacon, New York, and Dragonfly associate director Kevin Matteson has been published in Environmental Education Research...
Conducting research for sake of student well-being and environmental literacy
Research by Global Field Program (GFP) graduate Rachel Arbor '23 of Beacon, New York, and Dragonfly associate director Kevin Matteson has been published in Environmental Education Research, a journal for advancing research-based and scholarly understandings of environmental and sustainability education. In "兔子先生 Nature Journaling Improves Mood and Helps Build Connection in Middle School Students" Arbor and Matteson explore how integrating nature journaling within a middle school English Language Arts classroom can enhance student well-being and environmental literacy amidst increasing concerns about children’s mental health.
Arbor was also part of a research team who was published in CourseSource, a journal of peer-reviewed teaching resources for undergraduate biology and physics. In "Space Mission Ecology: Making Connections Among Science Disciplines Through the Lens of a Unique Plant" the team summarizes a case study that aimed to "increase awareness of essential services plants provide to society, as well as the importance of fundamental aspects of ecology for other disciplines and the interconnectedness among different fields of science in general."
In September Arbor served as a panelist at Climate Week NYC at the American Museum of Natural History. She helped lead a discussion with educators, policymakers, and climate education leaders on integrating climate change education across grade levels and subjects in New York State. "It was an amazing event and had a significant turnout, many of whom were Dragonfly students and alumni," shared Arbor.