School of Education alumna, Legoria, receives National Green School Award
on behalf of Westdale Heights Academic Magnet (WHAM) Elementary School
07/28/16
Legoria accepted the award in Washington, DC on July 20, 2016. WHAM is one of four schools in Louisiana to receive the award.
Legoria received her BS in Agriculture, 1981, BS, 1989, MA, 1995, EdS, 1997, and PhD in Science Education, Curriculum & Instruction, 2012, all from Louisiana State University.
In her PhD dissertation, chaired by the late Dr. J. Wandersee, An Exploratory Study of Informal Science Learning by Children Ages 2-12 at Selected U.S. Children's Gardens, Legoria determined if children became more aware and knowledgeable of plants while visiting gardens with on-site observations and interviews.
When Legoria was pursuing her PhD from LSU, she led a team of teachers at WHAM to earn the school the honor of Intel Elementary School of Distinction in Science award recipient. In 2013, Legoria was named Louisiana Science Teacher of the Year. In 2014, she was named one of Louisiana’s State Finalists in science for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.
Legoria has taught in the East Baton Rouge School system for more than 22 years. She has been a science specialist for more than ten years, where she teaches science lab for K-5 students and coordinates science curricula. Her presentations and interests are in environmental education, particularly children’s gardens.
WHAM was selected as a Green Ribbon School from the U.S. Department of Education after evaluation for reduced environmental impact and costs, improved health and wellness, and effective environmental and sustainability education.
Legoria maintains a close relationship with the LSU Coastal Roots program. Through this program, WHAM students develop an attitude of stewardship toward Louisiana’s natural resources. In the last eight years, students have planted more than 2,700 native tree seedlings at three restoration sites and “planted the seeds of stewardship in their hearts.”
“I get to work with the most generous, creative, and hard-working teachers there are! They are the ones that help their students understand the value of our coastal resources and why we should all do our part to care for these fragile ecosystems,” Pam Blanchard, co-director of LSU Coastal Roots, said.
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