PEI and the Puyallup School District have a longstanding partnership to ensure all students have access to equitable, outdoor learning opportunities.  This past year we focused on how to support this work, especially for the K-3 classrooms, in a virtual setting.  We started by revisiting the Schoolyard Investigations lessons and brainstorming how students could participate outside of the schoolyard and traditional school setting.  Next, Tina VanBlaricom, Puyallup’s science kit creator extraordinaire, put together individual science kits for each kinder through sixth grade student to ensure they had the needed materials for their science lessons at home.  Students loved having their own kits and were able to keep all the materials inside, including items such as personal hand lenses, pencil sharpeners, and journals.   

Check out Puyallup’s FieldSTEM video. 

PEI would like to recognize the retirement of Dr. Martha Kurtz, Central Washington University’s Associate Dean, College of the Sciences. Martha has been a contributor and supporter of PEI’s programming since before PEI was PEI. In the late 90’s she lead the Teachers of Teachers of Science efforts for pre-service educators and worked closely with environmental educators including the Kittitas Environmental Education Network (KEEN). During the 2004-2005 academic year she took a sabbatical from CWU to work for PEI to document PEI's work in FieldSTEM. She represented PEI on a NAAEE team to write national standards for the initial preparation of environmental educators published in 2007.  Martha served on the PEI Board from its founding in 2003 until 2016. To celebrate her retirement, Martha has encouraged donations to PEI. PEI has already received over $500 from Martha’s colleagues. Consider honoring Martha by making a donation in tribute to her commitment to science education and PEI.

Anne Egger  
ArtsFund 
Daryl and Michele Connell  
Lisa Ely  
Timothy Englund  
Kristina Ernest 
Kitsap Community Foundation 
Janet Shiver  
Stephanie Stein