We are so proud that our Education Director Kristen Schulte was awarded the "Conservation Educator of the Year" by Conservation Federation of Missouri, one of the oldest conservation organizations in the state. We are her biggest fans but are so glad the broader community sees her impact. Here's what CFM shared about her work: "Kristen is one of the leading outdoor educators in the state of Missouri. She has been working since 2015 as the Education Director for Missouri River Relief (MRR). She is a quiet leader in the outdoor education community. Her innovative programs have been a model that she has shared with many other educators and organizations. Her leadership has helped build community among outdoor and conservation educators and showed an inspirational pathway for others through the pandemic. Her vision is pushing MRR to grow its impact in all parts of our community. When Kristen joined the MRR team, she took a step back to review the existing education programs, gathered a group of MRR education partners and volunteers, and proceeded to build on the strengths of existing programs while crafting completely new and innovative programs that have now impacted tens of thousands of students, teachers and community members. While she and her team certainly bring the river to people where they live, her goal is always to get people TO the river and ON the river for the kind of educational experience that only MRR can uniquely provide. One of the first things she did was craft an Education Philosophy for Missouri River Relief that has guided all of our work since then. “Missouri River Relief Education engages participants’ innate sense of wonder and natural curiosity to explore the Missouri River through place-based programs that are interdisciplinary in nature and experiential in character. We seek to build participants’ knowledge and understanding of the Missouri River through hands-on experiences that will deepen their connection and sense of responsibility for its care and stewardship.” Kristen is an inspiring community builder, place-based educator and skilled collaborator representing the best of Conservation Education in the state of Missouri." #moriverrelief #outdooreducation
Barney Combs
4mo
What an impact you make on our community and state!
Trevor Harris
4mo
Way to go, Kristen. It is an honor to work with you and your team!
Libby Reuter
4mo
Congratulations on this well-deserved award, Kristen
Volunteer Coordinator and Manager
4moYou truly live up to your job title...it is always fun and wonderful to partner with you in the community! Congratulations!!!