Westerville North High School chemistry teacher Jeff Bracken has received the Great Blue Heron Award from the Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District. The award, which he received this month, recognizes outstanding contributions in natural resources and stream protection within Franklin County.
He was nominated by WNHS alum and former student Mikaela Mohr, who is the program assistant at Franklin Soil and Water. In her nomination letter, Mohr noted how Bracken has integrated his love of the environment and gardening into the classroom experience through his garden on the school grounds and a hydroponic garden in the chemistry lab.
“He teaches students that chemistry is not just test tubes in a lab — it has real-world and practical applications outside of the classroom,” she wrote. “I'm sure he has won quite a few awards or grants for being an outstanding educator, but I believe he deserves this particular award for his considerable effort and success tying a difficult technical subject like chemistry to environmental science for the upcoming generation of citizens, educators, and decision-makers.”