This October, Tremont was honored to receive the Young Professionals of Knoxville’s 2022 Develop Award for our work educating and inspiring members of our community to investigate ecological diversity, develop a sense of place, and cultivate a stewardship ethic that will influence lifelong decision-making.
The award was presented at YPK’s 10th Annual Impact Awards in Knoxville, Tennessee. Award recipients were nominated and voted on by YPK’s membership in three mission-related categories: Connect, Develop and Serve. The Develop Award was given to one organization that has created and/or championed community educational or professional development content and opportunities in the Knoxville area. This award is focused on tangible opportunities in which the Knoxville community can participate.
The award highlighted one of Tremont’s hallmark initiatives: training teachers to bring curiosity and exploration to their schoolyards. Through Teacher Escape Weekends in the Smokies, our virtual Schoolyard Network, and various in-person and virtual professional development workshops, we have trained and provided resources to hundreds of educators in the last year, including over 130 individuals from Knox County schools.
Additional programs offered for young (and not-so-young) professionals include our Southern Appalachian Naturalist Certification Program, wilderness emergency medical response training, and photography workshops.
YPK members sharing reflections from their nature journaling exercise on Girl Scout Island. Photo courtesy of Richelle Ballenger.
YPK members were invited to Tremont during the summer for a guided hike to Spruce Flats Falls. They enthusiastically participated in grounding nature journaling activities, learned about ferns and millipedes, and splashed in the brisk mountain stream. At the end of the day, one hiker said, “This made me realize I should be paying more attention to the small things.”
Huge thanks to Young Professionals of Knoxville for supporting Tremont and selecting us for this honor.
Most educator-focused programs are available for free or at a low cost for teachers from around the country. If you would like to support programs like these, consider making a gift to Tremont’s GO Fund.
Cover image: Marketing Manager Erin Rosolina and Manager of the Teacher Network Annie Roth accepted the 2022 Develop Award at the 10th Annual Impact Awards. Photo courtesy of Young Professionals of Knoxville.
