Washington Middle School Teacher Stefanie Virgen Receives Inspiring the Next Generation Award
Washington Middle School teacher Stefanie Virgen was honored by regional nonprofit organization Missouri River Relief for her work inspiring her students to work outside the classroom learning about nature and working to protect and restore the environment.
Virgen was awarded the annual “Inspiring the Next Generation Award” at the organization’s February 19 Annual Awards Gathering. The award honors an educator that strives to connect students to the Missouri River and deepen their sense of river stewardship.
“We’ve been really inspired by Stefanie’s work inside and outside school to increase environmental awareness, engage her students in the natural world and connect them to the amazing Missouri River right in our backyards,” said Missouri River Relief Director Steve Schnarr.
Virgen serves on the Washington River Festival Committee, which is currently planning this year’s Washington River Festival and Missouri River Cleanup scheduled for May 21 at Rennick Riverfront Park (
https://bit.ly/wash-festival-cleanup-2022). She also is the staff advisor for the WMS Environmental Club, who is deeply involved in the river cleanup. Her students, through the Entrepreneurs for Charity program, raised $550 to support the river cleanup.
Here’s the text for the award:
“Missouri River Relief’s education programs engage students’ innate sense of wonder to explore the Missouri River through place-based programs that are interdisciplinary in nature and experiential in character. No one person has a greater impact on inspiring student’s curiosity of the Missouri River than the educator who creates the learning environment where a student’s relationship with the river can flourish and grow. The Inspiring the Next Generation Award goes to the educator that strives to connect students to the Missouri River and deepen their sense of river stewardship.
This year’s recipient has been involved with River Relief for many years, just downstream at mile marker 68.5. This Washington Middle School teacher has worked directly with her students in outdoor environmental clubs, doing direct service on the river and in the community. We have hosted her students at our cleanups, and have been invited into her classroom to engage her students with the Missouri River, and its intersections with science and art. As her website says… “Real-world, hands-on projects are curricular highlights.”
Virgen’s after school outdoor programs explore careers and deeper skills of interest across Missouri outdoor recreation (fishing, kayaking, camping, landforms, etc.), pollution problem-solving, aquatic ecosystems, forestry, recycling, survival skills, field trip(s), hands-on outdoor projects, and more. Her daughters have been our poster children for Watershed Expeditions at Home. They are Stream Team #5403, and provide incentives for area volunteers to get involved with them on a long list of Missouri’s waterways.
Most recently, her students raised $550 for Missouri River Relief during their Entrepreneurs for Charity challenge project. One student said, "I want the river to be cleaner, so that the town looks nicer and every time I go over the bridge I don’t question why people would want to boat or swim in the river.” While another said, "I wanted to help all of the animals that live in the river like fish and insects.”
Stefanie Virgen Recognized
Washington Middle School teacher Stefanie Virgen, pictured at right with blue vest, was awarded the annual “Inspiring the Next Generation Award” by the Missouri River Relief organization. The award honors an educator who strives to connect students to the Missouri River and deepen their sense of river stewardship.