Public Health Teacher of the Year Promotes Professional Development and Citizen Science as Keys to Success
January 2023
- Mr. Dev from Pasadena Unified School District awarded 2022 Public Health Teacher of the Year
- Citizen science and professional development are critical in building students’ futures in their communities
- Operation Mosquito G.R.I.D., a community science project, creates a buzz from home to the classroom
The click of specimen slides under the microscope and the gasps of awe fill the room. If you’re picturing a class of middle school students, try again.
Teachers at a free professional development course received hands-on instructions to bringOperation Mosquito G.R.I.D. into their classrooms.
The Train-the-Trainer event was also a networking opportunity for teachers in San Gabriel Valley.
“My favorite part was when my students brought in their lures and they were surprised about what they found in their own backyards,” said Sierra Madre Middle School teacher Ravi Dev Anandhan (Mr. Dev).
The EcoHealth Vector Education Program recently awarded Mr. Dev the 2022 Public Health Teacher of the Year. Mr. Dev is the first teacher in Pasadena Unified School District to receive this honor.
“Operation Mosquito G.R.I.D. was an eye-opening experience for students and families,” said Mr. Dev, who has been teaching for 21 years at PUSD. “All the hard work paid off!”
My favorite part was when my students brought in their lures and they were surprised about what they found in their own backyards.Mr. Dev, Sierra Madre Middle School, Pasadena Unified School District
There has been an increase of community science opportunities in the past few years.
Operation Mosquito G.R.I.D. (Growth Reduction and Increased Detection) is popular in classrooms as a tool connecting student learning to community public health outcomes.
Operation Mosquito G.R.I.D., a free program from EcoHealth Vector Education, provides students with an experience in a potential public health career path. Students use the same equipment and observational techniques used by vector ecologists.
Educators, homeschool program coordinators, librarians, and administrators can book a free class presentation or citizen science program by visiting VectorEducation.org.
EcoHealth is a free, NGSS-aligned program offered by the San Gabriel Valley Mosquito & Vector Control District.
