For the first time ever, a group of Glenbard East students represented the school at the Illinois Envirothon State Championship, competing against teams from across the state in a series of environmental science challenges.
The Envirothon team was formed after seven students approached environmental science teacher David Krodel in search of a Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) project. With many of the students having previously taken AP Environmental Science, the idea quickly developed into a competitive team.
“I’d read about it before, but I never had a team.” Krodel said. “When the seven students approached me about doing it, it all sort of came together.”
The Envirothon competition focuses on five main categories: soils, wildlife biology, aquatics, forestry, and environmental issues. Students compete as a team, rotating through testing stations where they work together to solve problems and answer questions within a limited amount of time.
To prepare for the competition, each student specialized in one category and became the group’s leader in that subject area. Students met weekly before school to study, share resources, and teach lessons to one another through presentations and discussions.
“The idea was if you could teach it, then you were an expert yourself.” Krodel said. The team embraced this mindset as they competed against schools across Illinois.
The team first competed at the local level before advancing to the state championship. While the competition itself was an important accomplishment, Krodel said the experience outside the classroom was equally rewarding.
“The coolest thing was seeing them work outside of school to prepare,” he said. “It was really rewarding seeing them come together.”
Although East does not currently have an official Envirothon club, the team’s success brought attention to the environmental science program and highlighted the students’ dedication.
“It’s neat to see these students take something that wasn’t a required class or club activity and really commit to it,” Krodel said.
Beyond the competition, students also gained valuable life lessons through the experience. Krodel encouraged other students to take risks and participate in opportunities outside of their comfort zones.
“You shouldn’t be afraid to try new things,” he said. “Especially when you have the chance to work with others outside your normal environment.”
The team’s achievement was recognized by the school community through a sendoff on April 29th before the state competition, something Krodel said it helped validate the students’ hard work and commitment.
