NJ Audubon's Eduction Committee and the Board of Directors are proud to announce the 2011 recipient of the Patricia F. Kane - Excellence in Environmental Education award. This annual award is given to an educator whose dedication has provided children with learning opportunities about the environment that extend well beyond the classroom walls and textbooks. This year's recipient is Mr. Bill Haines.
Bill is currently an 8th grade science teacher at North Arlington Middle School. In addition to his teaching schedule, Bill is also a team leader who mentors new and seasoned teachers at the school, facilitates parent/teacher discussions and sits on various committees to help engage students in a diversity of life experiences.
The award was presented May 4, 2011 at the inaugural NJA President's Circle dinner.
After working on various research projects for Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Rutgers and Ciba-Geigy, Bill discovered his true calling in teaching. Since the early 2000’s Bill has made a commitment to engage young people in learning about the environment. He coordinated and taught the Blue Rock School Summer Program which focused on place-based nature education; he became certified in all the “project” curricula (Project Learning Tree, Project WET, etc.) as well as well-versed in NJ Audubon’s Bridges to the Natural World, NJ WATERS and Fishing for Answers in an Urban Estuary. In addition to incorporating portions of these curricula into his teaching, Bill often conducts professional development for his peers and others in the use of these great supplemental resources and helps teachers tie their content to the NJ State standards. Bill has been an adjunct professor at William Paterson University, Passaic County Community College and Hudson County Community College – each time bringing his passion for the environment to his students.
In addition to these many accomplishments, Bill has also been involved in ANJEE for over 20 years. He has served on the advisory board, and currently is an honorary advisory member and editor of ANJEE Online, the organization’s communication outlet.
Bill has been a friend to the education department of NJ Audubon and has willingly been involved in all manner of programming for the organization as well as provided “a teacher’s perspective” on our programming. We salute Bill for his unwaivering dedication to his students of all ages, and his passion for seeking new ways to make environmental education a real and personal experience, constantly challenging his students to become informed and concerned citizens as they take their place in the community. Thank you, Bill!