Hampton Clean City Commission Honors Local Schools and Educators for Inspiring Environmental Stewardship

At their annual volunteer recognition celebration on October 24, the Hampton Clean City Commission celebrated two outstanding teachers and three exceptional schools for their remarkable commitment to environmental sustainability. Through innovative projects and hands-on initiatives, these educators and students have not only enhanced their schools but also fostered a deep-rooted sense of responsibility for the planet.

Innovative Educator Awards
Crystal Britt-Smith, an instructional assistant at Asbury Elementary School, was recognized with the Innovative Elementary Educator Award for her visionary recycled tire planter project. With grant support and community partnerships she garnered, Britt-Smith led a year-long effort to transform the school grounds. Her fifth grade students researched optimal plant placement, soil needs, and weed prevention methods, ultimately creating vibrant planters with ice plants, dianthus, penstemon, and mammoth sunflowers. The students’ enthusiasm was palpable as they took ownership of each phase, learning the value of sustainability and the beauty of nature. Britt-Smith is also collaborating with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation to plant native trees, further enriching Asbury Elementary’s green landscape.

Tiara Kersey, a dedicated science teacher at Lindsay Middle School, received the Innovative Middle School Educator Award for her tireless efforts to create innovative educational experiences that blend environmental stewardship with hands-on learning. Kersey’s "Youth Food Garden Initiative" empowers students to cultivate their own food, fostering an understanding of sustainable practices. The garden has blossomed with additional beds and a "Food is Free: Community Herb Garden," which will yield herbs for students to create community-shared recipes and seasonings. Kersey’s commitment extends to a "School Courtyard Rain Garden Restoration Project" where sixth grade staff will mentor students as they design a rain garden to resolve drainage issues in their courtyard. Her projects exemplify how small, sustainable actions can have lasting impacts on both the school and the wider community.

Innovative School Awards 

Burbank Elementary and Kilgore Gifted Center received the Innovative Elementary School Award and Jones Magnet Middle School received the Innovative Middle School Award from the Hampton Clean City Commission.

Burbank was recognized for the work of students and teacher Melissa Powell-Riedl with reducing food waste, recycling, oyster restoration, and contributing atmospheric data to NASA through the GLOBE program. In Powell-Riedl’s classroom, environmental education is woven into daily activities to foster a sense of responsibility for the planet. Her students learn about the importance of reducing food waste going to the landfill. Students learn to compost organic waste to create nutrient-rich soil that is then used for their class garden. Students learn how to sort waste properly so that materials that can be recycled are placed in recycling bins further reducing waste unnecessarily going into the landfill. Students grow and care for plants, learning firsthand about ecosystems, sustainability, and healthy food production. Regular trash pick-up sessions on the school grounds help students take ownership of keeping the environment clean, promoting teamwork and respect for nature. Further, Powell-Riedl’s students share the importance of saving the environment with others. They actively collect organic waste in the cafeteria and encourage other students and teachers to recycle all recyclable plastics, fostering a community-wide effort toward sustainability.

Kilgore Gifted Center was honored for the work of the Ecology Club led by teacher Michele Ferrel. Each year the ecology club works to educate students and staff at the school about environmental stewardship through their recycling, raising and releasing both oysters and trout, ongoing maintenance of a thriving schoolyard wildlife habitat and pond, managing active bee hives, reviving the school rain garden, planting and growing vegetables, as well as organizing ongoing school grounds cleanups. Ferrel ensures that students have regular guest speakers and field trips. The culmination of the students’ hard work is an annual Environmental Fair that benefits the entire school. Fourth grade student teams present the environmental research they have conducted over the course of the year and community groups engage learners with interactive exhibits.

Jones Magnet Middle School received the Innovative Middle School Award for the work of the Ecology Club and teachers Sheryl McLaughlin and Sabrina Burbanck for their ongoing efforts with recycling, oyster restoration, and collaborative research with Christopher Newport University (CNU) on the effects of saltwater intrusion on the Atlantic white cedar. Members of the Ecology Club have exhibited at the Shellabration festival in downtown Hampton for the last two years, educating the public about the importance of oysters to the health of the Chesapeake Bay. Ecology Club members also exhibited at the 2024 Earth Day Celebration at Bluebird Gap Farm where they planned and led the members of the public through hands-on educational activities. 

A Green Future Ahead
These dedicated educators and their students are reshaping the future by cultivating environmentally conscious communities within their schools and beyond. Their efforts reflect a powerful commitment to sustainability, innovation, and shared responsibility for the planet. Congratulations to these remarkable teachers, students, and schools for setting the standard for environmental stewardship in education!