Penobscot teacher wins forest stewardship award

“I love to know how things work,” says Michele Charette, a teacher in Penobscot who has won an award for her work teaching children about forests.

By John Boit

Michele Charette, a science teacher at Penobscot Community School, has won the Anita Smith Project Learning Tree Steward Award.

The award recognizes individuals who demonstrate a commitment to environmental education and promote a lifelong appreciation and understanding of forests, their complex ecological systems, and the role of people in forest resource management. Project Learning Tree is a nonprofit organization focused on forest sustainability. It has chapters in all 50 states.

The organization said in a press release that Charette “has gone above and beyond in her efforts to engage students and offer them opportunities to learn about and connect with the natural world.”

Charette’s teaching career spans over 30 years, encompassing various grade levels and subjects. She currently teaches seventh and eighth grade math, as well as grades five through eight science in Penobscot.

“Her impact extends far beyond classroom instruction,” the organization said in a statement. “She brings learning to life by connecting her students directly with the natural world. Whether it's incubating or releasing salmon eggs, conducting tick drags, or participating in citizen science initiatives, Michelle ensures her students are active participants in real world science.”

“I love to know how things work,” Charette told The Rising Tide. “I get really excited when we get to do labs.”

Charette said she encourages her students “to find a passion, something they can make a difference in.”

“Our world is changing, and the kids need to be advocates. They are our future,” she said.

She will accept the award on Thursday, Oct. 16, at a ceremony in Hermon.