Area Group to Receive Top Honor from the Iowa State Education Association

DES MOINES, IA (03/14/2012)(readMedia)-- Iowa State Education Association (ISEA) president Chris Bern will be in Burlington on Monday, March 19, to present ISEA's Friend of Education Award to the Leopold Heritage Group for their outstanding efforts in creating an outdoor classroom at Leopold Middle School.

Recognizing that education is a total community effort, each year the ISEA honors a citizen or organization with the Friend of Education Award for their outstanding contribution to education in their community. The award will be presented to the Leopold Heritage Group at Aldo Leopold Middle School in Burlington at 4:00pm on Monday, March 19.

The Leopold Heritage Group was founded in 2004 to promote the legacy of Aldo Leopold, an internationally known conservationist, writer, and educator who was born in Burlington. Students, educators, local businesses, and members of the community worked under the leadership of the Leopold Heritage Group to design and construct a two-acre outdoor classroom located at the front of Leopold Middle School. Science students participated in the project by planting prairie grasses, flowers, trees, and shrubs. The naturalistic amphitheater, created from large rocks, provides a natural setting for students studying reading, science, music, art, and other subjects.

"Planning and constructing the outdoor classroom for Leopold Middle School truly embodies the Friend of Education Award, said Bern. "The Leopold Heritage Group worked tirelessly on behalf of the students at Leopold Middle School and the greater community and have created a legacy reminding all of us of where we come from and the importance of education. I am delighted to be able to present the Friend of Education Award to the Leopold Heritage Group for their hard work and efforts on behalf of their community, their students, and the citizens of Iowa," added Bern.

The ISEA is a professional organization made up of more than 34,000 educators who are dedicated to supporting and protecting a quality public education for all Iowa students. Great Education....It's an Iowa Basic!