Put-in-Bay Teacher Wins Prestigious National Environmental Education Award
Melissa Kowalski, better known to many in the community as Missi, is a science teacher at Put-in-Bay School and has been named a 2025 winner of the Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators (PIAEE) — one of the nation’s top honors for environmental and STEM education.
The award, jointly presented by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the White House Council on Environmental Quality, recognizes teachers who use innovative, hands-on approaches to engage students in solving environmental challenges.
A Select Group of National Honorees
The award is one of the nation’s most selective environmental education honors. In 2025, only three teachers nationwide were chosen — including Put-in-Bay’s own Kowalski. Honorees are recognized with a presidential plaque, $2,500 for professional development, and an additional $2,500 for their school district to expand environmental education programs.
Turning the Island into a Living Classroom
Kowalski has long turned South Bass Island’s natural setting into a learning laboratory. Her students track monarch and bird migrations, gather Lake Erie water-quality data with professional tools, and take part in projects like native plant gardens and recycling initiatives. The EPA’s profile also highlights her cross-district collaborations, field trips, and student job-shadowing experiences — all designed to connect classroom learning to real-world science.
Her work has previously earned Put-in-Bay School the Ohio EPA’s Encouraging Environmental Excellence Award and the Ohio Governor’s Thomas Edison Award for Excellence in STEM Education.
A Win for the Community
Kowalski’s recognition is not just a personal milestone but a community achievement, showing that even a small island school can make a big impact on national education.
The full list of 2025 honorees can be found on the EPA’s website: Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators.
