PRESS ROOM

ROYAL OAK, Mich., 

Detroit Zoological Society (DZS) Curator of Education Claire Lannoye-Hall has been presented with the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) Distinguished Informal Science Education Award during the National Conference on Science Education in Atlanta.  The NSTA awards honor K-12 teachers, principals, professors and other professionals for their outstanding work and achievement in science education.

“Claire is an inspirational and effective educator. She plays an essential role in creating and implementing education programs for our community that ignite a passion for wildlife and wild places.  We are so proud of her achievements and feel honored to have her as part of our team,” said Ron Kagan, DZS executive director and CEO.

Lannoye-Hall has worked for the DZS for 16 years, building and facilitating partnerships with local school districts and helping thousands of students and teachers connect their classrooms to real-world learning experiences.  She also works with teachers through carefully planned and implemented professional development workshops to take their science curriculum a step further.

“Claire works tirelessly to keep on the forefront of current educational methods and needs, sharing this information with her team at the DZS and incorporating it into programming,” said Dwight Sieggreen, past president of the Michigan Science Teachers Association.

Lannoye-Hall is an advocate for making science accessible – she has developed camps, early learner programs, afterschool programming and teen volunteer opportunities that do just that.  In 2009, she helped form the DZS’s partnership with Oakland County’s Children’s Village – a residential treatment and detention center for youth.  This program instills a respect and reverence for the natural world through various activities, including gardening and taking part in amphibian conservation projects alongside DZS staff.

Lannoye-Hall also leads the DZS’s involvement in the Adopt-A-School program in Peru, which aims to preserve the rainforest one child at a time.  The DZS has partnered with the Civil Association for Conservation of the Peruvian Amazon Environment since 1999, supporting children and teachers in rural areas of the rainforest.  Each spring, more than 3,000 students and teachers receive a year’s worth of basic school supplies, delivered by Lannoye-Hall and a group of volunteers.

Lannoye-Hall was also named one of Oakland County’s “Elite 40 Under 40 Class of 2018”, which recognizes young professionals in the community who have achieved excellence in their field and contributed to the quality of life in their communities.