Patty Tolly joined the GLSI team following an exceptional 30-year career as a teacher with Forest Hills Public Schools in metro Grand Rapids, Michigan. As a classroom teacher, Patty constantly pursued opportunities to increase the relevance and meaning of learning objectives for her students through place-based, student-led projects and experiences, such as by developing a podcast to raise awareness about non-point source pollution, working with local representatives to draft a state bill aimed to reduce car idling, and developing native gardens on the school campus. 

For 15 years, Patty worked closely with Groundswell Stewardship Initiative, the GLSI Hub serving Kent and Ottawa Counties in Michigan. She was honored as the 2022 Ground “Swell” teacher of the year, and recently served as co-chair of Groundswell’s Teacher Leadership Committee. In 2023, Patty was selected as a fellow of the North American Association for Environmental Education’s Civic and Environmental Change Fellowship program, which connects education leaders and innovators from across the planet during an immersive leadership development and peer networking program. Additional past education leadership roles that Patty has held include Teacher Ambassador with Kent Intermediate School District Design Thinking Academy, and as a futurePREP’d  IChallengeUth teacher. Patty holds a B.S. in elementary education from Western Michigan University and an M.S. in Educational Leadership, also from WMU.