Photo: Hog Island coastline, Kirk Treakle
Bill Burton
NVBA is pleased to announce that Deborah Hammer is the 2025 winner of our scholarship to attend "Sharing Nature: An Educator's Week" at Hog Island Audubon Camp in Maine this coming August. NVBA awards this scholarship, covering tuition, room, board, and transportation, every year to a northern Virginia classroom teacher, specialist, or school administrator. Hog Island has offered environmental education programs for adults, teens, families, and conservation leaders since 1936. The camp takes a multidisciplinary approach to helping instructors develop effective techniques for teaching children and adults about nature.
Ms. Hammer is an Autism and Low Incidence Specialist with Arlington County Schools and coaches hundreds of teachers, paraprofessionals, and other staff across the district who work with over 1,200 students. She plans to use her experience to find nature-focused strategies that will help the teachers make academic content fun and engaging for their students who struggle to learn. We look forward to hearing about Ms. Hammer's experiences at Hog Island and how she plans to incorporate them into her teaching.