A core component of the Masters of Environment Education program is an 11-month research project designed to investigate a topic, issue, strategy, methodology or practice in environmental and sustainability education. This is an investigation that requires hands-on creative insight and creative output.

Whether the project examines natural history, existing programs at Merry Lea, or aims to implement novel educational programs, the process is self-driven with the guidance of a faculty mentor.

“I chose Merry Lea because it offers in-depth courses, practicum experiences, and a passion-inspired year-long project that reflects what an environmental educator can accomplish in their career.”

-Christine Kustra, class of 2020

Listed below are past student projects that link to a synopsis of their year-long research and implementations:

Graduate Projects from 2018 – 2019

• Disturbances: a Driver for Change in Merry Lea’s Forest Ecosystems by James Austin
• Evaluating the Kinderforest program at Merry Lea: Using the “Draw Nature” test to assess students’ attitudes towards nature by Andrew Beal
• Connecting Nature Play to State Standards for Kinderforest at Merry Lea by Vicky Benko
• Developing Student Connection to the Environment with Reptile and Amphibian Education by Delanie Bruce
• Maximizing Field Trip Success at Merry Lea: Understanding Connection Between Formal Schools and Informal Learning Centers When Planning and Implementing Field Trips by Samantha Buchanan
• Four Seasons of Transformation by Terri Habig
• Students with Learning Disabilities and the Impact of Environmental Education on their Learning Experience by Alison Sanders

Graduate Projects from 2017 – 2018

• Kinderforest at Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center: the Teacher and Environmental Educator Experience in Year One by Joey Hughes
• Kinderforest at Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center: the Experience and Lessons Learned for 30 Children in a Forest-based Educational Program by Natalie Roberts
• Initiating a Network of Concerned Community Members Around Land Management Practices in the Elkhart River Watershed by Travis Silveus
• Wild Foods of Michiana by Carina Zehr

Graduate Projects from 2016 – 2017

• Do Teachers Attribute Increased Environmental Education Lessons in their K-12 Classes as a Result of a Pre-service Environmental Education Field Course at Merry Lea by Ken Bauer
• Applying Project-Based and Student-Choice Learning to Deliver an After-School Gardening Program by Kaitlyn Bradley
• Measuring Effects of Inquiry-Based Professional Development on Teachers’ Knowledge of and Attitude Towards Amphibians by Maddie Herron
• Ephemeral Art as a Pathway Toward Connection: Place-Based Learning Principles and Perspectives by Aly Munger
• Five Charter Schools: Five Environmental Education Programs by Maggie Olson

Graduate Projects from 2015 – 2016

• An Assessment of a pre-service class in Outdoor Environmental Education for Goshen College Students by Lee Renshaw
• Assessing Long-Term Science Knowledge Retention of Fourth Grade Students by Katie Stoltzfus

Graduate Projects from 2014 – 2015

• Enhancing food system perception and personal food choices: summative evaluation of an elementary school hands-on learning experience by Mingla Charoenmuang
• Resident perceptions of the water quality in Northeastern Indiana Lakes by Corinne Grossmeier
• How do teaching strategies differ between classroom-based and nature-based schools at the 6^th grade level? by Jon Hagen
• Increasing participation in an after-school green team by Brandon Ihnen
• Strategies and Obstacles to Green Burial in Indiana by Judy Miller
• What are the benefits of having an after-school program focused on environmental education? by Jacob Mulder
• Public and private land management in Northeast Indiana: The influence of individual land managers by Jake Shapley

Graduate Projects from 2013 – 2014

• Tree selection patterns: woodpeckers & nuthatches as a control for the emerald ash borer by Abigail Bradley
• The perceived barriers to utilizing schoolyard nature trails for elementary environmental education by Allison Broomhall
• Using service-learning to make classroom and community connections by Caitlin Lorenc
• A vision to create meaningful programming at Merry Lea with the Miami Nation of Indiana by Lisa Myers
• The relationships between emergent and seed bank vegetation in restored and control herbaceous wetlands by Sara Stanislawski

Graduate Projects from 2012 – 2013

• Horticulture as a Pathway for Invasive Species and the Role of the Retail Garden Center in Promoting Native Plants by Miranda Davies
• The effectiveness of a pre-field trip visit on knowledge retention in 4th and 5th graders regarding the Rock Cycle by Katherine Johnson

Graduate Projects from 2011 – 2012

• Monitoring salamander populations through citizen science by Amy Berry
• Animal placement in society as portrayed by children and children’s literature by Jason Derry
• Pollution tolerance indices for lakes and ponds by Aaron Goldstein
• Congregational Creation Care by Laurina Graber
• An Examination of Sediment in the Elkhart River of Northeastern Indiana by Tom Hartzell
• Connecting Peace Education and Environmental Education by Ken Merhege
• Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Sugar Bush Program by Matthew McQueen
• Identifying formulas for mutually beneficial apprenticeships that promote sustainable agriculture by Carli Thompson
• Effect of Workplace Sustainability Training on Employees’ Environmental Behavior by Sara Yob

Graduate Projects from 2010 – 2011

• Woodpecker Population Dynamics as a Curriculum Tool by Jabin Burnworth
• Effects of a Wetland Field Trip on Student Knowledge and Attitudes by Rachel Funk
• Integrating Sustainability Concepts into Urban Youth Programs by Kati Regalado
• The Development of Schoolyard Gardens for Student Learning by Leah Schroeder
• Resources for Community Composting Initiatives by Tanya Suderman

Graduate Projects from 2009 – 2010

• What is the reason for population decline in Field Sparrows and Yellow Warbers? by Jennifer Amstutz
• Are religious leaders knowledgeable about environmental justice issues that affect the community in which they pastor? by LaToyia Gilbert
• What schools have successfully integrated green building materials into their curricula, and what factors have led to their success? by Hannah Miller
• Creation Care in Youth Group Programs by Maddie King
• Interpretation of Tallgrass Prairies by Laell Schulte
• Monitoring Wetlands through Citizen Science by Kathy Shantz
• What components are effective in an exhibit to increase children’s knowledge of spring forest ecosystems? by Bethany Testa-Avila

Graduate Projects from 2008 – 2009

• Why have some college presidents chosen to sign the American College and University President’s Climate Commitment and what does this mean for their institutions? by Nayla Jiménez
• What attracts shoppers to a Farmer’s Market? by Mallory Kuhn
• Does earning a scout merit badge increase environmental literacy? by Todd Weston