SFA professor starting environmental science academy for middle school girls

NACOGDOCHES, Texas (KTRE) - Current and former SFA professors are gearing up to take Nacogdoches students on their first adventure by the East Texas Adventure Girls Environmental Science Academy.

SFA professor and East Texas Adventurers Program Director Dr. Sarah Straub is excited to bring the girls out into the wilderness, something that might not usually be able to do.

“The focus of that grant is to provide various wildlife opportunities to various groups that might not otherwise have access to these things,” Straub said.

The academy’s first adventure will be a trip to the Caddo Lake State Park and will include events with park rangers, camping, cooking outdoors, interpretive programs, canoeing and more to give 25 girls a taste of the outdoors, which Straub says is the perfect size for these adventures.

“It’s small enough to create strong relationships, but large enough to bring as many of our students as possible,” Straub said.

And the girls will be learning valuable skills for the future.

“We’re providing the girls with experiences that they wouldn’t be able to get during a regular school day,” Dr. Tonya Jeffery, fellow program director and former SFA professor, said. “Providing these girls with outdoor environmental experiences can expand their horizons and expose them to new careers.”

There will be four adventures throughout the school year, two this fall and two in the spring.

“We wanted to highlight what East Texas had to offer with regards to the outdoors,” Straub said. “So we’re doing Caddo Lake State Park, Mission Tejas State Park, Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center and the SFA’s Piney Wood Native Plant Center.”

The program is made possible by the program directors, Straub, Jeffery, Dr. Summer Koltonski and Dr. Marisol Diaz and a $58,000 grant by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

“Sarah and I had started writing the grant,” Jeffery said. “I’m a science educator and her background is in social studies education we thought this would be a great collaboration.”

Applications for the programs first adventure will be handed out next Monday, September 12 to Nacogdoches students during homeroom.