GEORGIA-PACIFIC SPONSORS LOCAL EDUCATOR TO ATTEND WATER ISSUES PROGRAM

Elyse Armstrong Selected to Attend Georgia Aquarium’s “Creeks to Coast” Experience

Dallas, July 11, 2016 –Elyse Armstrong, an incoming teacher at the New Hope Education Center in the Paulding Virtual Academy, was selected to attend the “Creeks to Coast” training program taking place this week. The intense workshop led by Georgia Aquarium explores the Chattahoochee River system from its headwaters near the North Georgia Mountains to the Gulf of Mexico at Apalachicola Bay, Florida.
Based on their “Creeks to Coast” experience, teachers commit to develop lesson plans for use in their classrooms and share their experience with fellow teachers.
“I am so excited to be participating in this workshop,” Armstrong said. “Creeks to Coast will help me connect students to their environmental impact and highlight the importance of their everyday actions.” Armstrong teaches eighth grade physical science at South Central Middle School.
In its fourth year, the “Creeks to Coast” program is funded in part by the Georgia-Pacific Foundation. Armstrong is among eight elementary, middle and high school teachers Georgia-Pacific is sponsoring to attend from its facility communities in Arkansas, California and Georgia.
“Georgia-Pacific is proud to support education that directly addresses our communities’ water issues, including supply, quality and conservation,” said Mike Hamill, plant manager of Georgia-Pacific’s Rome Lumber Mill facility. “Giving educators a hands-on learning experience is invaluable because it will enhance their classroom teaching and impact children in a meaningful way.”
The week-long workshop is designed around interactive learning. Field and cultural experiences will include invertebrate sampling, a hydroelectric plant tour, fish hatchery and water treatment facility visits, hikes with interpretive rangers, meetings with scientific researchers, and exploration of oyster reef and barrier island ecosystems. A stop will also include a tour of Georgia-Pacific’s paper mill in Cedar Springs, Georgia, to learn about water in the manufacturing process.
Georgia Aquarium’s “Creeks to Coast” workshop encourages sharing and reflecting on each day’s activities with other participating educators on how they might use those lessons in the classroom.
“Educators are able to interact with other educators and scientific researchers to learn about animals, their ecosystems, and the issues that all of them face. This is the fourth year we have been able to offer ‘Creeks to Coast’ thanks in part to Georgia-Pacific and we are so happy to provide this opportunity to educators,” said Kristyn Tumbleson, director of education at Georgia Aquarium.
Follow #CreeksToCoast2016 online to experience the teachers’ exploration in action. Find Georgia-Pacific on Twitter and Facebook and Georgia Aquarium on Twitter and Facebook.

PHOTO: Paulding Virtual Academy teacher Elyse Armstrong is attending “Creeks to Coast” training program this week.

ABOUT GEORGIA-PACIFIC
Based in Atlanta, Georgia-Pacific and its subsidiaries are among the world’s leading manufacturers and marketers of bath tissue, paper towels and napkins, tableware, paper-based packaging, office papers, cellulose, specialty fibers, nonwoven fabrics, building products and related chemicals. The company employs approximately 35,000 people directly, and creates nearly 92,000 jobs indirectly. Founded in 1958, the Georgia-Pacific Foundation has four key investment areas: education, community enrichment, environment and entrepreneurship. For more information on the Georgia-Pacific Foundation, visit www.gp.com/gpfoundation.

ABOUT GEORGIA AQUARIUM
Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, Georgia, is one of the world’s most dynamic aquariums—containing more than 10 million gallons of water and the largest collection of aquatic animals. The mission of Georgia Aquarium is to be a premier scientific institution delivering an awe-inspiring entertainment experience which supports animal research and conservation; inspires learning; and instills a passion for the aquatic world. Its exhibits and programs are of the highest standards, offering engaging guest encounters that promote the conservation of marine biodiversity throughout the world. Georgia Aquarium is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums. For additional information, visit www.georgiaaquarium.org.