Mitch Ingram, 3rd grade bilingual science and math teacher, first brought his students to the Wilkerson Center for an Alliance program a few of years ago after he won a gift certificate from the Alliance that paid for the buses transportation required for the field trip. His class tried it out and loved it! Mitch says, “Every time that I go, I learn something cool about our wonderful water system in Texas. This year, I learned about places where the Colorado River’s water originates, and have now put some of them on my bucket list to visit.”
Something that he and the students really appreciate is that, at the Redbud Center, his students are not only taught practical, hands-on science that has everyday implications; they are also met with such enthusiasm and caring by the volunteers. Mitch encourages other teachers to take advantage of the Alliance’s Redbud Programs, which are provided free of charge. During the field experience, students learn about the nature of dams and why they are necessary, the water cycle and how it is more complicated than just a circular drawing on a poster, how everyday decisions affect our watershed, as well as some cool native plants and their uses. “If teachers want a TEKS based, hands-on, fun filled learning experience, go,” he said.
When he is not teaching, Mitch enjoys spending time with his wife and his 4 and 7 year olds, traveling, gardening, playing music, making soap, hiking, learning different dialects of Spanish, and just all around learning! Thank you, Mitch, for caring about the Colorado River and for sharing your passion with your students!