Bluffton teacher wins national award for environmental education

BLUFFTON, Ind. (WANE) - A teacher at Bluffton-Harrison Middle School is being recognized with a nationwide award for her efforts in environmental education.

Beverly Balash, an 8th grade teacher at Bluffton-Harrison, has won a Chevrolet GREEN Educator Award , which recognizes teachers, college professors, and volunteers who have taken an initiative to integrate environmental education into their schools and community programs.

“We are excited to join Earth Force in honoring Ms. Balash for her amazing work fostering the next generation of leaders,” said Vivian Pickard, President of the GM Foundation. “Educators like Ms. Balash represent the very best of our educational system, and we are proud to join them in engaging America’s youth as leaders.”

Balash and her students have been studying the Wabash River for almost 10 years, and her work has combated misperceptions of the health of the Wabash River and promoted scientific inquiry in both her students and the local population.

For her efforts, Balash will be featured on the Earth Force website , along with some of her teaching methods.