State project coordinators for environmental education curriculum recently named Dr. Alice Foose, an associate professor of recreation at Northwest Missouri State University, the Missouri Facilitator of the Year for her dedication to teaching in the field.

Foose works closely with Project Water Education for Teachers (WET), Project Wildlife in Learning Design (WILD), Project WILD aquatic, Flying WILD and Project Learning Tree (PLT), a set of environmental education curricula that engages students in the outdoors and learning about ecosystems. It links various activities to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and to current education standards.

Foose began working with Project WILD after participating in her first workshop while pursuing her master’s degree at Indiana University. She later completed facilitator training to lead workshops.

Foose takes pride in mentoring students and getting them excited about the outdoors. She continues to organize workshops on the Northwest campus each fall and spring.

“As a facilitator I can teach others how to use the materials,” Foose said. “I’ve been able to get students not only trained but also have had quite a few students go on to be  facilitators like myself. These are certifications that prepare students to work in a variety of educational, wildlife, park, and recreation associated fields.”

Foose joined the Northwest faculty in 2006, and her academic interests include learning contexts, experiential education, social justice and lifespan development. She has a doctorate in leisure behavior from Indiana University, a master’s degree in park and recreation administration with an emphasis on outdoor therapeutic recreation from Indiana University and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Kentucky.