We are proud to recognize Lara Haggerty (she/her) of West Kingston, RI, as our 2026 Teacher of the Year! The RIEEA Environmental Education Awards annually celebrates those who exemplify dedication and commitment to outdoor learning and recreation.
Lara is a science educator and instructional leader at The Greene School (TGS) who is helping shape environmental and science education well beyond her own classroom. As a member of TGS’s Instructional Leadership Team, Lara helps strengthen schoolwide teaching practice, while her implementation of OpenSciEd has made TGS a model site visited by Rhode Island Department of Education educators and school leaders. As the Career and Technical Education coordinator, she also helped reshape the school’s Environmental Engineering pathway into an Environmental Science pathway aligned with growing opportunities in Rhode Island’s Blue Economy. Lara brings the same hands-on approach to environmental stewardship, working with students on composting and recycling initiatives and leading TGS’s Envirothon team to consistently strong statewide results. She has built partnerships with many community organizations, connecting students with real-world environmental expertise and career pathways. Through accessible field-based learning and her leadership of TGS’s ADA-accessible Learning Meadow, Lara is creating opportunities for every student to engage deeply with science, the outdoors, and their role as environmental stewards.
Join us as we recognize and celebrate Lara and the other Environmental Education Award winners at a ceremony on Wednesday, October 21, 6:00-8:00pm, at the Save The Bay Center in Providence. There will be lite fare served by a local caterer, wine, beer, and soft drinks, and a short program in which the winners will accept their awards. It’s a wonderful event that you won’t want to miss!
Tickets are on a sliding scale to ensure everyone can access the event.