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Taft Early Learning Center New STEM Teacher Receives Award
Taft Early Learning Center New STEM Teacher Receives Award
Representative Soter Recognizes Amanda Gallerani of Uxbridge for receiving 2021 Secretary’s Award for Excellence in Energy and Environmental Education.
State Representative Michael Soter, R-Bellingham, recently recognized Amanda Gallerani (Uxbridge) as one of 23 recipients in Massachusetts to receive the Secretary’s Award for Excellence in Energy and Environmental Education from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.
This award program publicly recognizes formal and informal educators who have been nominated by a parent, colleague, student, school administrator, or community member for their excellence in providing energy and environmental education to their students. It is an opportunity for state and local partners to come together to share the success of these environmental education leaders and highlight the importance and benefits of integrating environmental science programs into the school curriculum.
The aware recognizes Gallerani for her work in conservation stewardship and environmental education. In 2019 and 2020, Gallerani spearheaded the Live Blue Ambassadors program at the New England Aquarium. The Live Blue Ambassadors program was a service program for teenagers 14-18 years old. The goal of the program was to create opportunities for teenagers and harvest their passions for the environment.
Over the duration of the program, Gallerani worked with over 3,000 of Massachusetts’ high school students. The Live Blue Ambassadors focused on citizen science projects throughout Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Projects included removing invasive species, planting native plants to encourage pollinators, reseeding clams, monitoring marine species in the Boston Harbor, and habitat restoration projects for endangered turtle species.
In April 2020, the Live Blue Ambassadors program was sunset due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The response from students in the program was overwhelming and Gallerani continued helping teens explore their passions by creating her own program. In August 2020, she coordinated four beach clean-ups along the coast of Massachusetts and her former Live Blue Ambassadors removed over 5,000 pounds of waste and litter.
“We need more leaders like Amanda in our society. She has a knack for what she does and shares her passions with our future generations.” Representative Soter commented, “Amanda has a bright future ahead of her and I’m eager to see it because I’m sure that it will include many motivated young men and women who want to learn and make a profound difference for the planet we live on.”
Amanda continues her work with environmental stewardship and education in the Uxbridge Public School Systems and will be creating her own conservation STEM program. Gallerani looks forward to continuing her work with younger generations and hopes to share her passions with the residents of Uxbridge.