Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) has announced that Heritage High School teacher Juliann Shockley has been recognized as the Virginia Certified Environmental Educator of the Year by the Virginia Association for Environmental Education.
According to LCPS, Shockley completed the Virginia Association for Environmental Education (VAEE) certification, a comprehensive program requiring over 200 hours of online coursework, hands-on workshops, 75 hours of field study across Virginia, and 40 hours dedicated to lesson planning and teaching. Her capstone project involved planting trees at Heritage High School and coordinating a free tree distribution with the Town of Leesburg, providing students with practical experience in environmental action. Now in her 17th year at Heritage, Shockley has taught Earth Science, Environmental Science, AP Environmental Science, and IB Environmental Systems and Societies.
“I’m a lifelong learner,” said Shockley. “When I discovered the Virginia Association for Environmental Education (VAEE) certification, I knew it would offer a fresh perspective on topics I already teach and hopefully introduce new ones to bring into the classroom.”
The Virginia Association for Environmental Education is described as a professional network that aims to advance environmental literacy across Virginia by equipping educators with tools and programs promoting outdoor access, environmental justice, and collaborative learning. Its initiatives include conferences, certification programs, outreach efforts, and school support activities. The association’s work is guided by values such as resilience, inclusivity, equity, impact, collaboration, community engagement, optimism, and sustainability. It draws from international frameworks like the Belgrade Charter and Tbilisi Declaration to emphasize experiential and interdisciplinary education fostering problem-solving skills, civic engagement, and sustainable practices.
Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS), headquartered in Ashburn, Virginia, provides detailed information on its operations through various resources including calendars and administrative contacts. The district maintains extensive enrollment and achievement data through District and School Profiles which encompass demographics and graduation rates among other metrics. Additionally, Virginia’s School Quality Profiles (SQPs) offer annual snapshots along with multi-year trends on student achievement indicators such as college readiness. LCPS is led by Superintendent Aaron Spence under the governance of an elected School Board responsible for policy-making according to LCPS.
