People

Over the last two decades I have participated in ventures spanning geographic and cultural boundaries across design, engineering, health, education, and international development fields.

As Co-Founder of Up4 The Challenge, a non-profit organization that promotes STEM (science technology engineering and math) as a means to achieve positive social and environmental impact in the community, I co-create and deliver hands-on programming for youth.

My priorities are to create opportunities for social change through a human-centred approach to design and innovation

I am an aspiring environmental educator with a strong interest in sustainability, native plants, and the traditional and practical uses of plants and herbs. I am passionate about connecting people with the natural world through accessible, hands-on education and hope to help others better understand the ecosystems and natural resources within their own communities.

Claire Sutton has been fostering connections between students and the natural world since 2010.

Sara B Sweetman, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Education in the College of Education and Professional Studies at the University of Rhode Island (URI) and directs the Guiding Education in Math and Science Network (GEMS-Net), a school-university partnership focused continual improvement in STEM teaching and learning. Beginning in the Fall of 2024, Sara will lead the new Environmental Education degree program at URI. Sara is an advisor for children’s media development and productions, including the CBP-PBS Ready to Learn Initiative and Sesame Street. Sara’s research interests focus on educational animation and children's media, gender diverse collaboration in STEM, and multimodal engagement for learning.

I am a Professional EEC Educator and have taught middle school science for 35+ years!  My knowledge of environmental science and sustainability has developed over the years from the excellent graduate courses taken, professional conferences and workshops attended, and my professional memberships to local, state and national organizations.

It is my goal as a science teacher to weave in the concepts of human impacts and sustanability into every unit I teach. I love meeting challenges to help students to learn by designing and testing ideas with STEM investigations, and especially take this learning outside.  

I am an Evenson Fellow, and this fellowship enabled me with a grant to purchase and develop Live Walls and improve our Green Roof at the school I teach with.

My website, Hope Challenges includes a section for teachers to increase their use of their state and local parks, providing ideas for STEM activities specific to each park. 

I love hiking and traveling all over Michigan and throughout the US!

Lee is a devoted social innovator and environmental educator. As an assistant teaching professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, his work explores how collaborative approaches to community engagement can improve the design, implementation, and assessment of cross-border environmental initiatives. Lee holds a PhD in Environmental Studies from the University of Colorado Boulder, an MA in Environmental Conservation Education from NYU, and a BS in Computer Science from the University of Rochester. His recent projects include a community-based planning initiative with Boulder Food Rescue, co-leading community development projects in Spain, Israel, and Costa Rica with The Sustainability Laboratory, and a global action network study with the Savory Global Institute. Lee's long-term professional goals include building new programs in transformative environmental education and bridging gaps in cross-cultural understanding towards a more unified human society.