Gaia Scholastic Consulting Services
Gaia Scholastic is an award-winning consulting company whose mission is to integrate Environmental Education into the classroom through standards-driven, interdisciplinary curriculum and professional development for teachers. Equipping teachers with the skills to become environmentally literate educators is an essential piece of solving the climate crisis puzzle. Empowering students to become climate activists is another.
Why Interdisciplinary Environmental Education?
The climate crisis is getting worse: Interdisciplinary Environmental Education supports students in becoming environmentally literate global citizens
The educational framework in the United States is changing: 6 U.S. States have adopted environmental literacy standards and many more are working toward that goal
Research suggests that Interdisciplinary Environmental Education benefits students and teachers alike:
It's been shown to improve mood, reduce stress, and increase one's sense of self-valuation and connection to nature for school-aged students
It changes the lens through which teachers implement their current curriculum, rather than providing an additional curriculum for them to teach - no additional teaching time required!
Explore what Gaia Scholastic's interdisciplinary Environmental Education looks like in:
What Clients Are Saying (Click Here):
"Rachel is a natural leader who is open, knowledgeable and giving. She promotes critical thinking skills in her students and provides multiple ways for students to apply their knowledge and thinking through investigations. Rachel is mindful of generating ideas and inquiries that matter to our school community while also ensuring that students understand the greater impact on larger society. Rachel and our students investigate what matters to the community and promote students in becoming the global citizens of our future. Through her work, students are now inspired engineers and scientists doing amazing things for their community, solving problems and thinking about their personal impact on the world."
-Allison, PK-8 School Principal
"Rachel works tirelessly to create curricula that inspire learners of all ages. The content that she continually develops not only engages her students, but excites them for diverse environmental topics. Between her extensive list of educational-based awards and her robust collaborative portfolio, I have never worked with such an influential professional as Rachel Arbor."
-Mike, High School Social Studies Teacher
"Rachel’s ability to collaborate with colleagues across all grade levels, from Pre-K to 12, is remarkable. Her passion for the environment is infectious and resonates in the engaging and impactful lessons she designs for our students. Rachel Arbor is an outstanding professional whose dedication, knowledge, and passion make her an asset to any educational institution. I wholeheartedly recommend her for any role in environmental education and coordination."
-James, Director of Technology & Innovation
"Rachel really understands how children and young adults think. No matter what their background or academic, developmental and emotional level, she can find the activity, content and connections that will engage them and get them to think deeply about science. Her content knowledge and real life experiences are so deep and varied that she can think on the fly and come up with interesting ideas and connections when developing content with me as a teacher or when working directly with students. Her depth of knowledge, experience, creativity and positive energy make her such a valuable resource our school.
Rachel is truly one of the best educators I have ever worked with over my 20 years of teaching secondary science education."
-Naomi, Middle School Science Teacher
"Rachel's visit as a guest lecturer in my graduate-level ecology class was insightful, and students repeatedly commented on the value of having her as a guest lecturer. Her expertise in environmental science, coupled with her perspectives on environmental education, added a significant layer of depth to our discussions. Rachel not only made connections to ecological concepts but also highlighted the power of education in fostering a sustainable future for our planet."
-Stephanie, University of Colorado Boulder Faculty
"The Youth Climate Summit was a vibrant display of Rachel’s commitment to interactive and immersive learning experiences. My students and I were particularly captivated by the enthusiastic student-led sessions, which included engaging interactions with birds and informative nature walks. It was a joy to see students teaching their peers with such passion and confidence. I highly recommend Rachel for any role you may need filling with environmental education. Her influence extends beyond the classroom, shaping students into informed, responsible, and active global citizens."
-Kat, High School Research Teacher
"Rachel is so refreshing to work with!! One of my favorite lessons in Kindergarten involves solar mittens, where students hold a black paper mitten on one hand and a white paper mitten on another, while standing outside in the sun. After a few minutes, they can feel which hand is warmer and determine that the colors attract and absorb sunlight in different ways. When we started working with Rachel, she added thermal cameras to the data collection process, so while children are standing outside, we record infrared data of them in real time so they can SEE which mitten is warmer. They are able to relate the colors to warmer temperatures and it brings a whole new lightbulb moment to their learning. We love working with Rachel and are lucky to have her!!"
-Stacy, Kindergarten teacher
"Rachel is a phenomenal collaborator. She is a valuable co-author on a case study for use in college classrooms that we hope to publish soon. Her expertise in environmental education and the interdisciplinary nature of science brought a crucial perspective to our work. She is prompt and professional in all of her contributions to the writing process. Rachel's involvement and collaborative efforts underscored the important role of interdisciplinary approaches in driving forward scientific inquiry and education."
-Steph, Education & Science Researcher
Rachel is, hands down, an exceptional environmental education teacher. Her passion for the environment and her commitment to creating a generation of environmentally conscious individuals is evident from the moment you meet her. She has a unique ability to connect with her students and spark their curiosity about the natural world. Her passion, her knowledge, her life experience…all coupled with her teaching pedagogy, make her programs first-rate!
-Amy, 4th Grade Math Teacher
Content built by Gaia Scholastic CEO & Founder, Rachel Arbor, has received accolades from the following organizations: