How Danielle Garrett Makes Sustainable Science Accessible to All Teachers

Bettering the Teaching Experience Through Safety, Resources, Creativity and Green Ideas

Dr. Danielle Garrett, professor of chemistry education, has been on a mission to bring hands-on learning experiences to science teachers of all education levels. Fueled by a passion for what she teaches and a deep understanding of the challenges faced by educators in the classroom, Garrett created an impactful outreach program that expands teachers’ resources and capacity to transform how they approach science.

The idea for her flagship program, "It's Easy Being Green: Budget-Friendly Safety-Conscious Chemistry Labs for the Secondary Science Classroom of Today," was born out of her own experiences as a high school chemistry teacher. Recognizing the need for accessible resources and curriculum in the lab, Garrett set out to address the concerns of student safety, limited access to chemicals and lab equipment, the ever-present challenges of chemical disposal and every educator’s worst nightmare — budget constraints.

“Not only does this program provide science teachers with new ideas that they can affordably incorporate into their classroom, it also has the potential to provide both teachers and their students with the basic skills to ‘think green’,” explained Garrett. “We offer new, eco-friendly ways of problem solving in chemistry both within and outside the classroom.”

“It’s Easy Being Green” is structured as a free professional development workshop series for middle-and-high-school-level chemistry and physical science teachers. Since its inception in 2015, the initiative has attracted nearly 300 teachers from across Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia and Illinois. Each summer, Garrett develops a new theme and set of experiments to keep the program’s content fresh and engaging for returning participants.

“Teaching chemistry is one of my biggest passions,” she added. “My chemistry outreach programming has allowed me to take that passion and expand my reach to both student and teacher communities. I get to develop and host experiential learning experiences that engage scientific thinking and explore the roles that questioning and analyzing have in learning.”

The success of the program is not only a testament to Garrett's dedication, but also to the support she has received from Belmont’s College of Sciences & Mathematics. The university has given her creative and scholarly independence — as well as financial support — allowing her to offer the workshops at no cost to teachers.

Garrett already has plans to expand the initiative with the support of a grant from Beyond Benign, an institution that provides educators with the tools, training and support to make green chemistry an integral part of chemistry education.

The expansion of “It’s Easy Being Green” is threefold: first, it will include a new half-day professional development workshop for teachers offered during the academic year. Second, teachers in attendance will be eligible to apply for a $50-100 microgrant that can be used for curriculum items, lab materials or further professional development opportunities focused on green chemistry topics and classroom application. Finally, a website will be developed to help recruit attendees and allow for them to share ideas as well as implementation outcomes and create a chemistry resource bank for one another.

The impact of the program extends beyond just providing teachers with new lab ideas — it has fostered a sense of community and support network among attendees, allowing them to connect with their peers and build relationships with university faculty members.

As Dr. Garrett looks to the future, her dedication to empowering educators and inspiring students through hands-on learning experiences remains unwavering, both at Belmont and beyond.