Rhonda Reisenbuechler, July 17, 2003

eClub Increases Environmental Awareness at L. B. Clarke Middle School

     Students at L.B. Clarke Middle School now have the opportunity to join eClub, an after school activity that encourages students to become more aware of the environment and acquire skills to become more active, responsible citizens.

     eClub is the creation of seventh grade teacher Rhonda Reisenbuechler, a graduate student in the Master of Science in Natural Resources Program for Teachers at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point.  She hopes the club will help introduce environmental values to her students and develop more informed citizens who are willing to take action regarding environmental issues.

     Reisenbuechler presented the results of the first two years of the club at the College of Natural Resources on the UWSP campus this summer.  She stated that, “Environmental education is an important tool for helping students become responsible citizens.”  Reisenbuechler feels that the environmental club will provide an avenue for her to teach the skills necessary for students to become productive citizens.   

     Since its inception in the fall of 2001, the club has grown from nine students to about 30.  According to Reisenbuechler, the club offers students an alternative to other after school activities, such as sports.  She keeps a display of all the club’s activities and accomplishments in her classroom and hopes that as the club becomes better known, the number of participants will increase.

     Like any other extra-curricular activity, eClub provides students who share a common interest a chance to socialize and enhance their classroom knowledge, but this club also gets kids out into nature and gets them involved in service projects that benefit the community.  In just two years, club members have already participated in activities like planting trees and banding saw-whet owls at Woodland Dunes Nature Center  for bird research.  They have also started a recycling program at their school and held a benefit dance to raise money for Wildlife of Wisconsin and the Lakeshore Humane Society.

     According to Reisenbuechler, one of the keys to the success of the program is the fact that the students have been put in charge of almost everything.  She is simply there to advise them when needed.  So, all the ideas and activities are planned and carried out by the students themselves.  “This is very empowering for middle school students,” says Reisenbuechler.

     In fact, the only real requirement she has of the club is that members must research and present an environmental topic or issue to elementary school students throughout the Two Rivers school district.  Although some students have found this to be a little scary at first, they soon realize it’s not that bad and enjoy the attention of the younger students.  When asked for feedback from the elementary teachers, Reisenbuechler received a resounding thumbs up and invitations to return in the future.

     So what has become of all this?  Reisenbuechler surveyed club members and a group of non-club members both at the beginning and at the end of the school year.  Results of the survey showed that eClub members made more significant gains in their awareness and attitudes about the environment compared to non-club members.  This is encouraging news for Reisenbuechler as she is already making plans for the coming school year in an effort to reach even more students.

Teachers interested in getting more information about the M.S. Degree Program in Environmental Education for Teachers at UW Stevens Point can contact Tim Byers, Outreach Program Manager, at (715) 346-4176.

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