Teachers: Get Inspired Through an Ecosystems Exploration; Full Scholarships Available Now

Honeywell and New Jersey Audubon Society Program to Inspire Educators for the Fourth Consecutive Year

Providing Hands-On Educational Tools to Teachers Through Discovery of the Hackensack Watershed

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May 20, 2011, 11:24 ET

MORRIS TOWNSHIP, N.J., May 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Honeywell (NYSE: HON) and New Jersey Audubon (NJA) announced today that for the fourth consecutive year, scholarships are available for the annual Honeywell Institute for Ecosystems Education for middle and high school science and social studies teachers. This year the program is being expanded to include teachers from Hudson, Bergen, Morris, Essex and Passaic County. The summer institute will take place August 15 – 19 and brings together classroom instruction with diverse outdoor experiences at sites throughout the Hackensack watershed to better engage and inspire students in the classroom.

The goal of the program is to provide teachers with up-to-date strategies and inspiring lesson plans that take the curriculum from the textbook to a unique, "hands-on" approach to geology, watershed dynamics, and human-ecosystems dependencies. Activities during the program led by environmental educators and naturalists include an exploration through forested and field habitats, an eco-cruise on the Hackensack River and investigation of both freshwater streams and tidal salt marshes.

"With increasing interest in sustainability, it underscores the need for teachers and students to have a solid foundation in environmental studies," said Dale Rosselet, vice-president for Education, NJA. "Over the past 3 years about 80 teachers have graduated from the program and we are looking forward to another successful session with new field trip locations and other refinements to the learning agenda. Through the Honeywell Institute for Ecosystems Education, we can ensure that teachers possess the most effective educational strategies to engage their students in inquiry-based learning, and get them excited about the science."

NJA has a nearly 50-year history of teaching experience-based nature studies and conservation in the state. Through the use of field study instruments and technologies, the program allows teachers to develop new and innovative methods to strengthen their lesson plans, including integrating natural system studies into their existing curriculum.

Teachers who participated in the program last August said:

"I feel completely inspired to step back and re-do my plans, incorporating the 'learning loop' and focusing more on the process as well as providing more direct experiences to my students."

"I would recommend it very strongly and enthusiastically because it gets you excited and inspired and you can't wait to get into your own classrooms to implement it!"

"I would recommend this adventure because of the wealth of knowledge shared, and the terrific field site visits. The food was terrific, too."

Honeywell's corporate citizenship initiative, Honeywell Hometown Solutions, and NJA strive to provide teachers with additional resources to actively engage their students in the learning process.

"It is an exciting and proud milestone to be partnering with New Jersey Audubon for a program that brings a fresh perspective to learning for teachers and students each year," said Tom Buckmaster, President, Honeywell Hometown Solutions. "As a leading technology innovator with almost half of its portfolio including energy efficient products, Honeywell is committed to bringing innovative thinking to the classroom and encouraging a new generation of environmental stewards."

Twenty-eight teachers will receive free tuition for the summer institute, classroom resource materials, a monetary stipend for program completion and 30 hours of professional development credit. The program is aligned with New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards in Science and Social Studies.

Registrations are due by June 10, 2011. Teachers who are interested in applying can visit http://www.njaudubon.org/SectionEducation/HoneywellInstituteforEcosystemsEducation.aspx or call (609) 861-1608 x13.

Honeywell Institute for Ecosystems Education is part of Honeywell Hometown Solutions, the company's corporate citizenship initiative, which focuses on several areas of vital importance: Family Safety & Security, Housing & Shelter, Science & Math Education, Habitat & Conservation, and Humanitarian Relief. More information on Honeywell Hometown Solutions can be found at: www.honeywell.com/hhs.

Honeywell International (www.honeywell.com) is a Fortune 100 diversified technology and manufacturing leader, serving customers worldwide with aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings, homes and industry; automotive products; turbochargers; and specialty materials. Based in Morris Township, N.J., Honeywell's shares are traded on the New York, London, and Chicago Stock Exchanges. For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywellnow.com.