Cheri Goggin is known for her ability to make learning fun for her students and involve them in hands-on, meaningful experiences beyond the classroom. “If it’s not fun, don’t do it!” is one of her favorite teaching mottos.
Her passion for the environment and commitment to positive change inspires her students. Through student-led projects, she connects youth to the outdoors and encourages them to give back to their communities. Cheri also works with other teachers, including art, photography, physical education, math, and language arts teachers, to integrate environmental education into their subject areas.
Cheri’s students use PLT’s GreenSchools Investigations to investigate problems on the school campus and then devise solutions. With Cheri’s assistance, students have written and received grants to provide funding for a rain garden, outdoor learning stations, and a native species habitat. They have installed bird stations on campus and regularly participate in FeederWatch and other backyard bird count programs. She also involves students, teachers, parents, and school administrators in making their school more green and healthy.
Cheri was one of the first educators in Ohio to be trained in PLT. Now a PLT facilitator, Cheri participates in many other environmental education programs and workshops, including programs with the Geauga Soil and Water Conservation District and Ohio Department of Natural Resources. She was honored as the 2011 Ohio Conservation Teacher of the Year by the Ohio Federation of Soil and Water Conservation Districts.
“Cheri is one of the most creative teachers I have known. She thinks ‘outside the box,’ which keeps her students interested and engaged, and encourages and empowers her students to be proactive problem solvers. Every year her students perform very well on state mandated tests.”
– Stephen Reedy, Principal, Berkshire Junior/Senior High School, Burton, Ohio
Cheri was named National PLT Outstanding Educator in 2013.
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