Sarah Gainey has been named non-formal Environmental Educator of the Year by Minnesota Association for Environmental Education. Gainey is the assistant director and education coordinator of preK-12 education & volunteers at St. John’s Outdoor University. Not only has Sarah worked to provide education to school-aged students, she has also mentored more than a dozen Environmental Education Fellows in addition to numerous college students and education volunteers. Due to the recent pandemic, Gainey had to transition last spring from in-person field trips to creating curriculum that students could complete from their homes, like “Nature Near Me,” a program aimed to support schools by providing environmental education resources that create opportunities for students to engage with nature. Gainey has previously served on the board of MAEE, Minnesota Naturalists’ Association, and North American Association for Environmental Education. She also coordinates a science teacher’s network that offers networking events with professional development for teachers.
On behalf of St. John’s Prep students in grades six through 12, faculty and staff, SJP Campus Ministry Director Br. Lucian Lopez delivered 20 boxes and bags of food and $1,805 in cash and checks to the St. Joseph Community Food Shelf. Families brought in non-perishable food items including canned vegetables, bottles of juice, boxes of stuffing, dry biscuit mixes, cans of broth and cream of mushroom soup, and bags of potatoes. Other items included breakfast cereal, boxes of macaroni and cheese, containers of cookies and other kid-friendly favorites. This year the St. John’s Prep food drive will serve 27 families in the St. Joseph community. The money was used to purchase turkeys, pies, buns and other perishable items.
