Teachers Inspired by Corporate-Sponsored Prairie-Restoration Workshop

As Chris Schwarz, a veteran educator at Glenbard East High School, looks out upon a prairie, she sees lessons on conservation, biology, history, and English blossoming like so many black-eyed Susans under the warm summer sun. Recently, Schwarz and 59 other teachers from around the suburbs attended a corporate-sponsored prairie-restoration workshop at Lucent Technologies' campus, where they learned the essentials of prairie restoration. The workshop, which included lectures on site preparation, seeding, transplanting, burning, and more, aimed to inspire teachers to create their own prairie restoration projects in their schools.

Key Takeaways:

• The workshop was organized by Lucent Technologies, a company known for its telecommunications work, but which also boasts knowledge in broader fields, including environmental conservation.
• The company has a history of environmental stewardship, with its two campuses boasting 50 acres of employee-restored natural lands.
• Lucent has helped fund prairie restorations at 20 schools across the Chicago area, and plans to increase grant funding from $500 to $1,000 per school, provided the schools make in-kind offers to match those funds.
• Each school that attended the workshop received a $100 credit to fund teaching materials and an invaluable amount of insight from their peers.
• Teachers learned firsthand what worked and what didn't in prairie restoration from experienced educators, such as Gloria Latta, who successfully restored a 5-by-8-foot plot of prairie at Wheaton Warrenville South High School.
• The benefits of prairie restoration include less chemical use, less landfill space taken up by grass clippings, and more habitat for local fauna.
• Prairie restoration can take four or more years to establish, but can lead to an integrated curriculum that spans multiple subjects.

Statistics:

• 59 teachers attended the corporate-sponsored prairie-restoration workshop at Lucent Technologies' campus.
• 20 schools across the Chicago area have received funding for prairie restorations through Lucent's grant program.
• 50 acres of natural lands have been restored at Lucent's two campuses.
• $100 credit was given to each school that attended the workshop to fund teaching materials.
• $500 to $1,000 grant funding is available per school, pending in-kind matching funds.

Sources:

• Daily Herald Staff Writer Kevin Barrett
• Lucent Technologies environmental club head Alan Bonanno
• Education Week
• The Chicago Tribune