Rainforest Alliance

Q&A with Julianne Schrader, Education Manager

When Julianne Schrader first joined the Rainforest Alliance 11 years ago, our education program was no more than an idea. Since then, she has played an integral role in the creation of a dynamic initiative that offers multi-disciplinary curricula for children in kindergarten through eighth grade. Our free, online Learning Site offers an array of tools and interactive games. And through hands-on workshops and classroom visits, our program reaches some 775 teachers and more than 14,000 students, giving them the tools and incentive to become active environmental stewards. Here, Schrader reflects on the growth of the program and discusses what she finds most engaging about being a part of our education team...

Tell us a bit about your background with the Rainforest Alliance.

I've worn many hats here, working first with the development team, later with the executive office and finally taking on an education project that grew into a full-time position (and a new Rainforest Alliance program).

How did the education team get its start?

In 2000, we received a grant to help us identify the best way to reach the thousands of teachers who were on the lookout for rainforest education resources. We surveyed existing lessons and set out to fill a gap by creating dynamic, hands-on curricula in math, science and language arts -- all in line with national learning standards. To round out the content, we developed presentations, stories, and animal and plant profiles. All of these resources merged to create the foundation for our Learning Site, which launched in 2003 and has since been viewed more than seven million times.

What's the overall goal of the program and how are we achieving it?

Ultimately, we want to educate students so that they can make reasonable, informed choices about issues facing the environment. All of our curricula are designed to emphasize the ways that our world is interconnected, and the importance of every action we take. In addition to making tools for students and teachers available on our Learning Site, we partner with schools in urban communities in the US and forest communities in Guatemala to train teachers and help them integrate environmental education into their classrooms.

How does our education program tie into our work in sustainable agriculture, forestry and tourism?

The education lessons complement our field programs by helping students and educators to think about the implications of resource use at home and abroad. Through our lessons and the Rainforest Alliance's TreeHouse -- an interactive online space with educational games, storybooks and more -- we invite students to explore the origins of products including chocolate, bananas, coffee and wood. Kids also have an opportunity to compare and contrast their experiences with those of children living in the communities where these products are grown.

Where would you like to see the program in five years?

I'd like to continue to expand our curricula and increase our work with classrooms and communities in the US, Guatemala and, hopefully, beyond.

What do you like most about your work?

I always find my visits with students and teachers incredibly rewarding. It's an opportunity to see the creative ways that teachers utilize our learning resources, and adapt and build on lessons to inspire their students. Recently, the Rainforest Alliance co-hosted educational workshops in Guatemala's Maya Biosphere Reserve -- during breaks, the teachers engaged in really enthusiastic debates about the best way to apply our lessons in the classroom. It was wonderful to see how invested they were in conservation education.