Arlington Elementary School Educator Sponsored by Georgia-Pacific to Attend Keystone Science School

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May 15, 2017

ARLINGTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL EDUCATOR SPONSORED BY GEORGIA-PACIFIC TO ATTEND KEYSTONE SCIENCE SCHOOL
STEM Program Helps Teachers Bring Environmental Issues to Life
  

ARLINGTON, MAY 8, 2017– Luanne Pyron, a third grade teacher at Arlington Elementary School has been selected by Georgia-Pacific to attend Keystone Science School’s 2017 Key Issues Institute: Bringing Environmental Issues to the Classroom, this summer in Silverthorne, Colorado.  
 
Held every June and July, the Key Issues Institute program brings together K-12 educators from around the world for a highly interactive four and a half-day workshop. The program is designed to help teachers of all subjects bring environmental issues and STEM-based learning (science, technology, engineering and math) to the classroom. Teachers learn to present scientific concepts in an unbiased way to their students while discovering ways to boost their students’ critical thinking skills.
 
Pyron is one of 14 teachers sponsored to attend Key Issues Institute from Georgia-Pacific’s facility communities in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin.
 
“Georgia-Pacific is committed to being environmentally responsible, and an investment in our teachers is an investment in our communities,” said Chuck LaPorte, mill manager, of Georgia-Pacific’s Memphis Cellulose facility. “We’re proud to support this unique learning opportunity at Keystone Science School, which gives teachers creative tools to bring environmental learning to life.”
 
At Key Issues Institute, teachers work in teams to solve “real-life” scenarios such as investigating the source of a town’s health epidemic, testing water quality of a nearby river and building a sustainable cable-car model. Teachers bring home lesson plans designed to engage students, and lab kits to apply what they’ve learned to their local classrooms. The Institute also coordinates ongoing support from other educators and instructors online.
 
Since 1997, Georgia-Pacific has sponsored more than 200 teachers from its facility communities across the country to attend Keystone Science School.

“Arlington Community School’s vision and mission is to empower and inspire all students toward lifetime learning, career success and good citizenship,” said Anna Jones, principal, Arlington Elementary School. “Programs afforded to us by community stakeholders like Georgia Pacific help us to engage and inspire our staff to create an environment where students can achieve their highest potential and become productive citizens in an ever changing, challenging world.”
 
Follow teachers in June and July through their Key Issues Institute experience by visiting
Georgia-Pacific on Twitter and Facebook. Follow @KScienceSchool on Twitter or like the KSS Facebook page www.facebook.com/KScienceSchool.
 

About Georgia-Pacific
Based in Atlanta, Georgia-Pacific and its subsidiaries are among the world’s leading manufacturers and marketers of bath tissue, paper towels and napkins, tableware, paper-based packaging, office papers, cellulose, specialty fibers, nonwoven fabrics, building products and related chemicals. The company employs approximately 35,000 people directly, and creates nearly 92,000 jobs indirectly. Founded in 1958, the Georgia-Pacific Foundation has four key investment areas: education, community enrichment, environment and entrepreneurship. For more information on the Georgia-Pacific Foundation, visit gp.com/gpfoundation.
 
About Keystone Science School
Since 1976, Keystone Science School has taught scientific principles and leadership skills to young people, teachers, and community members through engaging hands-on field experiences. The School was founded on the belief that leaders should approach decision-making with a healthy respect for scientific inquiry, collaboration, and civic engagement. Our programs prepare future leaders to address the increasingly complex issues our society faces. For more information, visit  www.KeystoneScienceSchool.org.
Contact:
James Barnes
901-320-8612