Hastings teacher Joe Beattie honored

Hastings High School biology teacher Joe Beattie is one of 48 teachers 3M is sponsoring to attend The Keystone Center’s “Key Issues Institute: Bringing Environmental Issues to the Classroom.”

Key Issues Institute is a national teacher training workshop that provides creative and innovative middle-level educators with the process, skills and confidence to investigate current environmental issues in a non-biased manner with their students.

Each of the 48 sponsored teachers will receive an all-expenses paid trip to Keystone, Colo., for one of three sessions being held this summer. Upon completion, teachers return to the classroom with new teaching materials and methods to teach environmental sciences.

The sponsored instructors are from many disciplines – math, science, social studies or environmental sciences – a reflection of 3M’s commitment to promote an interdisciplinary science-based environmental and conservation education. Through efforts like this, 3M seeks to help make a lasting impact on the earth’s ecosystems and to further sustainable development – meeting the needs of society today and in the future.

“Understanding the environmental issues facing us today requires a balanced knowledge of the scientific, technical, and political complexities involved,” said Barbara Kaufman, 3M manager of education giving. “Our partnership with The Key Issues Institute gives us a chance to help ensure that teachers and students in our 3M communities tackle environmental issues so that students have an opportunity to see how science is an important factor in many day-to-day decisions.”

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