Environmental Science Classes Earn Eco-Educator Award
L-R: Gerardo Ramos-Contreras, Ali Beydoun, Environmental Science Teacher Patrice Brock, Alia Lopez.
Central Catholic’s AP Environmental Science classes recently earned the Eco-Educator Award from the S.A.V.E. (Science Alliance for Valuing the Environment) Foundation. The S.A.V.E. Eco-Educator Award is a regional honor celebrating Toledo-area teachers who exhibit a strong commitment to environmental sustainability, spirituality, and ecological education.
“It is an honor to be included among so many impressive individuals and community groups for the 2026 S.A.V.E. awards,” said Environmental Science teacher, Patrice Brock. “This award highlights the ways that science and faith are connected. This connection deepens our learning in class and in our community. The AP Environmental Science students at Central Catholic immerse themselves in learning not only about the environment, but also about how we are called to care for God’s creation.”
Central Catholic launched the AP Environmental Science class five years ago in response to a growing interest in environmental issues among its students. The class became a connector course in the curriculum - one that intertwines the science we all experience with the spirituality that pervades all we do at Central Catholic. The course has grown to be the most requested AP science course we offer.
This course also connects Central Catholic students to our community. Every fall, the class spends a day at Standing Rush Marsh. Students walk the miles of trails and learn how the marsh protects the shoreline and waters of Lake Erie, and they learn about the many species that call the marsh home. The students develop a much deeper understanding of and appreciation for the ways we are all called to care for God’s creation. This trip then generates dozens of discussions throughout the year about the ethics of caring for our world, its inhabitants, and each other.
This year, the AP Environmental Science classes brought back a community outreach project that started before the interruption of Covid. The classes have been growing vegetable plants to donate to a local food bank so that their clients can enjoy fresh food all summer. Involving students in projects that directly help others is one of the most authentic ways to express their faith.
“The hands-on approach to learning in this class has ignited a passion for conservation in a number of Central Catholic students who are now going into careers in environmental science,” added Brock. “By encouraging our students to view the natural world through a faith-based lens, we are planting the seeds for Earth’s future caretakers.”
The Science Alliance for Valuing the Environment (S.A.V.E.) was established in August, 1990 by a group of concerned citizens who wanted to make a difference and promote a love and appreciation for our natural world. It serves the Greater Toledo area with a variety of programs that surround the concepts of sustainability. Founded under the guiding principles of the Sisters of St. Francis and now having an interfaith collaborative, S.A.V.E.’s mission is to foster a personal awareness and respect for the interrelatedness of ecology, spirituality, and sustainability. S.A.V.E. has been recognized for its work by the National Environmental Awards Council, the Ohio House of Representatives, and the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development.
