A passionate proponent of restoration, recycling and the preservation of rivers, science teacher Gary Swick has developed an extensive environmental science program at Dundee-Crown High School in Carpentersville that fosters collaboration between students and the community. He secured a Department of Energy and Natural Resources grant to develop a comprehensive district-wide recycling program, and implemented the Raceway Woods project, in which students learn and apply science concepts while working with local environmental agencies in managing a nearby 150-acre parcel of land. In 2002, Swick received a $15,000 Christa McAuliffe Fellowship to finance the Fox River monitoring project, engaging students in the protection of one the nation's most endangered rivers. Swick created a county-wide network of environmental educators that has been recognized by the county as a model for professional development. His awards include the Illinois State Board of Education's Those Who Excel Award and Kane County High School Teacher of the Year. Swick is also the recipient of the first professional development award by the President's Council on Environmental Quality, for spearheading a study that resulted in the adoption of a local water protection ordinance.
1977 University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point, B.S.
