BEDFORD — Lawrence County Independent Schools (LCIS) has been honored with the 2026 Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence in recognition of its innovative Outdoor Learning Lab, state officials announced Thursday.
The prestigious award, considered Indiana’s highest environmental honor, was presented during the 29th Annual Indiana Partners for Sustainability Conference and Tradeshow at the Marriott Indianapolis North. LCIS was recognized in the Environmental Education and Outreach category for its commitment to hands-on conservation education.
Hands-On Conservation at LCIS Outdoor Learning Lab
The centerpiece of the school’s award-winning program is its two-acre Outdoor Learning Lab, designed specifically for kindergarten through eighth-grade students. The interactive space integrates environmental science directly into the elementary and middle school curriculum.
Key features of the LCIS Outdoor Learning Lab include:
- Native Plant Gardens & Monarch Waystation: Dedicated habitats supporting local pollinators and migratory butterflies, allowing students to observe insect life cycles and botany firsthand.
- Wetland Ecosystem: A naturalized wetland zone where students conduct water sampling, monitor local wildlife, and study aquatic biodiversity.
- Accessible Outdoor Amphitheater: A flexible gathering space designed to accommodate outdoor instruction, group discussions, and community presentations.
Through year-round activities—such as seasonal planting, wildlife tracking, and habitat restoration projects—LCIS students develop practical skills in ecology, resource conservation, and environmental stewardship.
State Recognition & Ceremony
The Governor’s Awards for Environmental Excellence recognize state organizations, businesses, and educational institutions that implement creative, sustainable initiatives delivering measurable economic, social, and environmental benefits.
The award was presented on behalf of Governor Mike Braun by Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) Chief of Staff Hilary Alderete and Energy and Natural Resources Chief of Staff Parvonay Stover.
“I congratulate these organizations that made environmental stewardship a focal point of their operations,” Governor Braun said in a statement. “This year’s winners represent some of the most innovative, forward-thinking work happening today, improving quality of life for communities across our state.”
In conjunction with the awards ceremony, Governor Braun issued an official state proclamation designating September 21–27, 2026, as Pollution Prevention Week in Indiana.
A Model for Environmental Education
LCIS was one of eight organizations across Indiana recognized across five distinct award categories this year, sharing the Environmental Education and Outreach honors alongside Lakeside Elementary School in Indianapolis.
By converting outdoor green space into a living classroom, LCIS continues to serve as a regional model for how rural K–8 schools can successfully embed real-world conservation and ecological research into daily foundational learning.
The 2026 Governor’s Awards for Environmental Excellence categories and recipients include:
ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE RESOURCES
- MPS Egg Farms (North Manchester, Ind.)
- This project has introduced the nation’s first carbon-neutral eggs to Kroger’s Simple Truth brand, now available in stores across Indiana. Made possible through a collaboration between Kipster Netherlands, MPS Egg Farms, and Kroger, the initiative reflects a shared commitment to sustainable food production. Located in North Manchester, Indiana, the Kipster facility features three state-of-the-art poultry barns designed to set new standards for animal welfare and environmental stewardship.
- City of West Lafayette
- The City of West Lafayette has completed its Municipal Solar Initiative, adding five new solar installations across municipally owned buildings. Funded by the City’s Redevelopment Commission, the project saved the City of West Lafayette 11% in utility costs in 2025 alone.
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND OUTREACH
- Lawrence County Independent Schools (Bedford, Ind.)
- The Lawrence County Independent Schools Outdoor Learning Lab is a two-acre outdoor education space for K–8 students, featuring native gardens, a Monarch Waystation, a wetland, and an accessible amphitheater. Through hands-on activities like planting, wildlife monitoring, and habitat restoration, students build year-round skills in ecology, conservation, and sustainability.
- Lakeside Elementary School (Indianapolis)
- Lakeside Elementary established a Green Team of 70 students and up to 10 adults, creating and maintaining a thriving vegetable garden and sensory garden for its 500 students. Along the way, the team built composting knowledge and promoted nutrient recycling, reinforcing the importance of sustainability through hands-on learning.
GREENING THE GOVERNMENT
- City of Lafayette
- The City of Lafayette adopted its “Greening the Government” initiative in January 2023, creating a coordinated, multi-department framework to reduce emissions, lower costs, and improve resource management. The city-wide plan integrates energy efficiency, renewable energy, electric vehicles, multimodal transportation, waste reduction, water resource recovery, and green infrastructure across municipal operations. Specifically, the city has improved wastewater infrastructure, installed solar arrays, and upgraded equipment to enhance recycling.
LAND USE AND CONSERVATION
- Daubenspeck Community Nature Park Inc. (Indianapolis)
- Daubenspeck Community Nature Park is an urban nature park of rare green space in Indianapolis. Daubenspeck’s mission is to create and maintain a native green space where nature and the human community can enhance each other.
- LaPorte County Soil and Water Conservation District
- Launched in 2023, the LaPorte County Soil and Water Conservation District’s Native Habitat for Pollinators Establishment Program met its 50-acre goal by creating diverse native pollinator habitats across 10 sites in nine sub-watersheds spanning the Lake Michigan and Kankakee basins. The program transforms degraded and invasive-dominated areas into biodiverse plantings featuring grasses, forbs, and shrubs native to Northwest Indiana’s coastal region.
RECYCLING AND REUSE
- Allen County Department of Environmental Management
- Allen County launched the “STOP THE SPARK” campaign to address the growing need for proper household battery disposal. The initiative expands access to battery recycling, provides public education and safety guidance for managing lithium batteries, and includes a school-based vape collection and disposal program.
