GLOBE students at John Ford Middle School Science Center in Saint Matthews, South Carolina and their teacher, Mr. Abraham Funchess, have established a plot of land alongside their school as a learning center for the entire community. In addition to their GLOBE instrument site, this outdoor laboratory includes garden plots, an obstacle course to teach team work, and a soil layering and identification plot. "Our outdoor lab is alive with learning opportunities for all ages and in all subjects across the curriculum, " Funchess told a reporter for the South Carolina Times and Democrat newspaper.

In recognition of their outstanding efforts to promote environmental awareness, the students were honored in the spring of 1996 by the Governor of South Carolina as "Champions of the Environment" (pictured at left). The activities of the John Ford Middle School students were also featured in television news reports and public service announcements.

In addition, Mr. Funchess has received a prestigious national award for using inspired and innovative teaching methods. "We are having so much fun with our GLOBE Program and environmental studies that school simply does not end for us at 3:00 p.m.," Mr. Funchess said. "Students who are within walking distance of the school hang around and contribute mightily to the upkeep of our lab and monitoring of GLOBE instruments."

Congratulations to these outstanding GLOBE students and to Mr. Funchess!