How to Get Involved - Teachers

1. Let your school know about the EnviroExpo Special Awards and the Environmental Innovation division.
Encourage students to develop projects that combine art and science. This is an initiative that promotes interdisciplinary thinking!

One of the goals of the EnviroExpo Special Awards and Environmental Innovation division is to draw in students whose primary focus is on the arts, and who wouldn’t necessarily think about competing at the science fair. It also asks kids who are mostly interested in science to take a look at what kids mostly interested in the arts are doing – and collaborate with them. Individual students capable of interdisciplinary work are also more than welcome to create projects.

2. Reach out to arts-oriented students.
Ensure that arts teachers are aware of the exciting opportunities for project-based science when the arts are incorporated. Arts teachers must be aware that arts-oriented students are capable and welcome to participate in science fairs.

Encourage arts teachers to spread the word to their students about this terrific opportunity for creativity and collaboration. Arts teachers themselves can participate: as judges and mentors to both arts and science students.

3. Encourage collaboration.
Projects can develop in any number of ways:

  • arts and science students can initiate a joint project
  • an individual arts or science student can develop a project that combines art and science
  • a pair of arts or a pair of science students can develop a project that combines art and science
  • a science teacher, seeing a student working on a promising project, can help them find a partner from the arts to help develop other aspects to turn the idea into an implementable solution
  • an arts teacher, seeing a student developing an interesting project, can help them find a science student to help develop other aspects of it, and turn it into an implementable solution

The real key is that the final project takes on an environmental issue using the tools of both the scientist and those of the artist.