Dawnetta Hayes has taught reading and history in Cincinnati Public Schools for 15 years. Originally from Toledo, Ohio, she moved south to attend the University of Cincinnati where she holds a B.A. in history, a B.S. in elementary education, and a M.Ed. in Educational Leadership. She obtained her secondary Montessori licensure from the Cincinnati Montessori Secondary Teacher Education Program (CMStep) and is working on her doctorate in Urban Educational Leadership.
Dawnetta’s passion for outdoor education was fueled in 2007 when she was invited to join a cadre of four other educators to develop a new Montessori High school for her district, Westside Montessori which would later be changed to Gamble Montessori High School. Through this experience she learned to create theme-based curricula and enriching outdoor field studies centered on the importance of global stewardship and embracing the cultural diversity within our planet. Sixteen camping trips to the Little Miami River valley, and seven marine biology expeditions to Pigeon Key island with students, as well as field studies around the city community reflects her commitment to making sure urban youth have access to inquiry-based learning opportunities in the natural world.
Her leadership and passion for education have been noted within her school, district, and city. She’s been named Rising Star by the YWCA of Greater Cincinnati. In addition, she was recognized as a Leader for the Future by the Reaching for the Stars program. She is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati's Alpaugh Scholars Leadership Program and the Administrators Development Academy (ADA) and has presented at the National Middle School Association on using non-fiction picture books to teach social studies content. She regularly serves on district-wide committees and mentors her students through their high school and college years. In her spare time she skis, reads, plays her guitar, and travels. As a Grosvenor fellow Dawnetta hopes to expand her knowledge of environmental and geographic education and share this experience with her students, colleagues, and community.
*Photo Credit: Janet Shedd. Dawnetta pictured with Juan Valdes "the geographer" of National Geographic during a four day training in Washington, DC.
Dawnetta’s passion for outdoor education was fueled in 2007 when she was invited to join a cadre of four other educators to develop a new Montessori High school for her district, Westside Montessori which would later be changed to Gamble Montessori High School. Through this experience she learned to create theme-based curricula and enriching outdoor field studies centered on the importance of global stewardship and embracing the cultural diversity within our planet. Sixteen camping trips to the Little Miami River valley, and seven marine biology expeditions to Pigeon Key island with students, as well as field studies around the city community reflects her commitment to making sure urban youth have access to inquiry-based learning opportunities in the natural world.
Her leadership and passion for education have been noted within her school, district, and city. She’s been named Rising Star by the YWCA of Greater Cincinnati. In addition, she was recognized as a Leader for the Future by the Reaching for the Stars program. She is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati's Alpaugh Scholars Leadership Program and the Administrators Development Academy (ADA) and has presented at the National Middle School Association on using non-fiction picture books to teach social studies content. She regularly serves on district-wide committees and mentors her students through their high school and college years. In her spare time she skis, reads, plays her guitar, and travels. As a Grosvenor fellow Dawnetta hopes to expand her knowledge of environmental and geographic education and share this experience with her students, colleagues, and community.
*Photo Credit: Janet Shedd. Dawnetta pictured with Juan Valdes "the geographer" of National Geographic during a four day training in Washington, DC.
