This post is part of ACE’s Teacher of the Year blog series.

Chemberyle Simoneau could split herself in two and each half would still lead a busy life.  She is a high school chemistry teacher, soccer coach, police officer’s wife, mother of three, and a faculty sponsor for Ecovision, the environmental club she started three years ago at Foothill High School in Henderson, Nevada.

Chemberyle juggles her many responsibilities by adhering to a time tested formula that’s worked in raising her family. “I believe in empowering kids. [My students] devise the plans themselves and I serve as their adviser.”

The accomplishments of Ecovision’s fifteen members prove that Chemberyle’s adviser role works. Recently, the club ran a two-week water bottle recycling contest that inspired a cross-section of ten Foothill sports teams to collect 2,000 pounds of recyclable bottles altogether.  Earlier this school year, Ecovision’s members conducted an earth fair where they taught 500 students about carbon footprint, the albedo effect, and glaciers while also sharing Earth trivia designed to teach young people environmental solutions.

Thanks to Chemberyle’s leadership, Ecovision has impacted students and teachers alike. “The pressure of knowing they had to present to 500 students forced [Ecovision members] to know their stuff… Skye became a better presenter… [other students’] organizational skills emerged.” Similarly, Ecovision’s participation in last year’s ACE energy competition (Unplugged) changed teachers’ habits. Many of them are still conserving their energy consumption during and after school by unplugging unused devices and limiting light and power usage.

Starting an eco-club isn’t feasible for ever everyone. Still, Chemberyle believes teachers can support students by adding environmental discourse into their general curriculum. “I squeeze environmental activities into my chemistry class. We’ll talk about acid rain during acid and bases discussion. Kids may not know the relevance of why they should be part of an eco-club.”