Connecting Urban Students with Science and Nature
Dana Starvaggi says receiving the Arthur S. Holden Teacher Award for Excellence in Science Education was a “very big honor” knowing there are many extremely qualified teachers around the state who deserve the recognition.
“I prepare students every day to find their ‘why’ so that they can begin taking steps to share their greatness and their gifts with the world.”
-Dana Starvaggi, recipient of the 2023 Arthur S. Holden Teacher Award for Excellence in Science Education
Dana Starvaggi became a teacher to provide opportunities to underrepresented students. She viewed herself as a “mediocre” student in high school and claims that she nearly dropped out before an “epiphany” led her to her life’s work.
“We all know that human potential is not unique to certain zip codes,” remarks Ms. Starvaggi, who recalls realizing while still in high school that there were huge discrepancies in the experiences of students based largely on their race, socioeconomic status, or family’s education. “While greatness knows no zip code, unfortunately opportunity does. I decided to try my hand at ‘being the change you want to see in the world.’”
To begin to make that change, Ms. Starvaggi earned a degree in Middle Level Education for science, social studies, and reading from The University of Akron followed by a master’s degree in Curriculum & Instruction. Now in her 12th year of teaching, Ms. Starvaggi is an established leader in education. She has taught at three Akron public schools and her work has earned her the Foundation’s 2023 Arthur S. Holden Teacher Award for Excellence in Science Education.
When recommending Ms. Starvaggi for the award, Kathryn Rodocker, Principal, North High School writes: “Dana strives to make learning accessible, engaging, and meaningful. She is purposeful in her planning to teach science concepts in a context that is relevant to our students.” She recognizes and believes in the uniqueness of all learners and instills social emotional competencies in her lessons.
Students examine muskrat and beaver (animals that are considered “the natural ecosystem engineers“) “projects” on a field trip to
The University of Akron Field Station at Bath Nature Preserve.
Early in her career, Ms. Starvaggi launched a Wetlands Program at Buchtel CLC to focus on teaching interdisciplinary standards through the lens of wetland restoration and conservation. She developed a curriculum, established partnerships, and designed field trips to take students from grades 7-12 to visit local wetlands. The experience, she remarks, was powerful because most of her students live in an urban desert where greenspace is limited. To “push her students in other ways,” she created a Science Fair Club to engage more diverse learners in STEM activities and encourage them to participate in competitive science fairs.
As a lifelong learner, Ms. Starvaggi says she is always on the lookout for the next chapter to further her career. That desire led her to Akron’s North High School where she now teaches Physical Science to English Language Learners.
Ms. Starvaggi’s students enjoy a break from the classroom at The University of Akron’s Field Station at the Bath Nature Preserve. “Students will always remember an experience that takes them out of their comfort zone and traditional learning environment,” she remarks.
“Teaching students from all over the world who speak nine different languages has been a dream come true,” she remarks. With funds from the Foundation’s award, she is engaging these ninth graders in a study of a nationally significant waste contamination project taking place at the nearby Gorge Metro Parks in Summit County. Her students are examining a new technique the park is planning to dispose of industrial waste by mixing it with concrete and burying it in containers on the property after the removal of the Gorge Dam.
“I had a genuine curiosity in this project,” remarks Ms. Starvaggi, adding that she wondered if the proposed technique was safe and if it would be the best way to dispose of the contaminated sediment. Those concerns inspired her to design a yearlong, deep learning project for her students where they are engaging in a variety of hands-on assignments to support that investigation. So far, they have created brochures, presentations, and 3D models to showcase what they learned about the chemistry of the water through their inquiry-based lessons. They learned how compounds like nitrate, phosphate, and dissolved oxygen affect the health of an ecosystem. “The Gorge is literally in our backyard,” explains Ms. Starvaggi, “so this is a great opportunity to look at our history and the public’s responsibility to maintain our environment and ecologically diverse spaces.”
The students have loved the field trips, she remarks, particularly the gathering and testing of water samples. What she enjoys about the project is that it involves “taking something I love deeply – the parks, the environment – and getting to share that with students and show them that they are surrounded by these beautiful spaces.
“There’s no hiding that my favorite field in science is environmental science,” she continues. “I love that I am able to teach chemistry and physics through the lens of nature and the environment. Students will always remember an experience that takes them out of their comfort zone and traditional learning environment. From there you can really build in the necessary content because students draw from that experience and feel like the content matters to them in a more personal way.”
What it Takes to be An Effective Educator
Ms. Starvaggi says to be an effective science educator in any classroom students need to work hands-on with a variety of media, whether that’s doing traditional classroom chemistry or getting their hands dirty through plants and soil dissection. “That’s where they make those real-world connections,” she adds, “You see those light bulbs go off when they’re engaged in something that’s authentic, hands-on, and which they can see around them.”
Ms. Starvaggi says connecting her students with nature is “one of the highlights of my career.”
Her advice to teachers new to the field is to not be afraid to take risks: “Do something even if there’s a chance you are going to completely flop,” she advises. “If you give students that challenge, oftentimes they’ll rise to meet that expectation.”
North High School Principal Rodocker says Ms. Starvaggi models this quality among others: “She’s reflective, inquisitive, collaborative, and open to feedback. I hope I get to continue to witness her take on the challenges of urban public education with a passion that is truly unmatched.”