Kathrina O'Connell, Lake Park Audubon Elementary, Minnesota
How Place-Based Learning Can Impact Students and Their Community
The Potential for Place-Based Learning in the Areas of Art & Conservation to Impact a Community
By, Kathrina O'Connell, 2019 Grants in Place Recipient; 2020 Grants in Place Fellow
"In order to preserve the habitat that John James Audubon’s niece viewed when the town of Audubon was named, and the wildlife that is still present today, students set out to germinate and plant native Minnesota prairie plants. The sixth graders are currently germinating milkweed plants in the school’s greenhouse, and will be working with nine conservation organizations to expand the school’s pollinator garden in May. It is hoped that the larger garden will attract more of the birds that Audubon enjoyed studying."
I Am A Rural Teacher: Emma King & Amelia Woollard, Appalachian Ohio
June 3, 2026
Two future teachers reflect on rural roots, classroom beginnings, and the power of community-connected education in Appalachian Ohio
Appalachia, Ohio, Rural Teacher Corps, Teacher Profile
I Am a Rural Teacher: Ava Hollins-Rogers – West Memphis, AR
May 7, 2026
Resilience shapes rural classrooms and communities in the Arkansas Delta
Arkansas Delta, Rural Teacher Corps, Teacher Profile
I Am a Rural Teacher: Toni Myers – Baker City, OR
April 21, 2026
In a two-room schoolhouse, Toni Myers builds generations of learners through relationships, resilience, and community-rooted education