Sharing Expertise in Residential Education

Talent Show with a Therapeutic Twist

February 20, 2020

October 23, 2017

Green Chimneys Executive Director Ed Placke offered an educator’s perspective on best practices for students with special needs at two important forums this October:

As a featured speaker, he presented “Educating Students With/Without Disabilities in Residential Care” at A Child Welfare Symposium presented by Fordham University’s Graduate School of Education in West Harrison, NY.

The presentation was also shared with colleagues at the Alliance For Strong Families’ Innovation Design Summit: Accelerating Education Achievement for all Children, held in Chicago, IL.

Russian Tortoise

There’s a reason this Russian Tortoise looks so iconic; it’s one of the most popular breeds sold in pet stores. This gentleman arrived at the Green Chimneys Wildlife Center as a rescue and secured a regular role in the classroom, helping students study the differences between tortoises and turtles; tortoises dwell on land, while turtles live in the water some or nearly all of the time. He has a reputation for being very active and outgoing and on warm, sunny days, the students take him outside to search for dandelion leaves to eat.