At East Aiken School of the Arts, paintings, drawings and sculpture turn the halls into an art gallery. At Jackson STEM Magnet Middle School, using technology, students create apps and learn to think critically, giving them an edge on the workforce of the future.
Using the school's focus on science, technology, engineering, arts and math across the curriculum, students employed engineering and scientific tools - defining the problem, asking questions and doing research - to determine the symptoms and remedy for a fictitious, mysterious disease that made students, teachers and staff sick.
"As an environmental educator, I value the principles that PLT is founded on," Umberger said. "Not only has this curriculum provided me with a wealth of experience that I can provide for students and teachers that I work with, but it also has helped form my own beliefs of how humans impact this planet."