News from the Iowa Conservation Education Coalition and the Iowa Association of Naturalists

Clear Creek Amana Middle School Wins Award for Excellence in Environmental Education

For Immediate Release
February 16, 2022

The Iowa Association of Naturalists (IAN) and the Iowa Conservation Education Coalition (ICEC) are proud to award the Clear Creek Amana Middle School with an IAN/ICEC Award for Excellence in Environmental Education. The award is the Sylvan Runkel Environmental Education School Award for outstanding whole-school environmental education program. The IAN/ICEC Awards for Excellence in Environmental Education are awarded annually to recognize incredible contributions to the advancement of environmental literacy in Iowa.

Clear Creek Amana has an advantage in teaching environmental education with their newly finished outdoor classroom to expand student’s knowledge. It incorporates nature, a STEM classroom connected with the outdoor classroom, and social-emotional learning. The outdoor classroom provides students with the opportunity to be outside and engaged physically, cognitively, psychologically, and socially. Clear Creek Amana Middle School is a worthy recipient for the Sylvan Runkel Environmental Education Award because they have taken progressive steps to incorporate sustainability and STEM into the everyday life of their students while at school and beyond.

The Clear Creek Amana Middle School joins a long history of outstanding environmental educators in the state of Iowa. The environmental education award is named in honor of Sylvan Runkel. Runkel co-authored four seminal books on Iowa plants and natural history. He was insightful educator who believed strongly in the value or direct experience with the environment.

Congratulations to Clear Creek Amana Middle School! Thank you for your outstanding efforts on behalf of environmental education in Iowa.