Connect with Kids Champion - Mary Van Dyke

Connect with Kids Champions are those ordinary people who make an extraordinary effort to connect with kids. They make it a priority to spend time and build relationships with children and teens. Champions come from all walks of life – a champion could be a neighbor, a friend, a business, a young person, a parent or a professional working with young people. What sets Connect with Kids Champions apart is their intentional and deliberate attentiveness to the needs of young people.



Mary Van Dyke was recently celebrated as a Connect with Kids Champion at Arlington Traditional School (ATS). Mary was nominated by Ginger Geoffrey who, along with Jennifer Gradel, volunteers weekly with Mary. She was nominated for all she does to help young people connect to the wonders of nature around them.



Jennifer Abel, Mary Van Dyke, Farrell Oxley



Mary makes the time in her busy life to share her passion for nature and caring for the environment with young people. She volunteers in the 4th grade at ATS with the 4H Nature Stewards Club. She coordinates and plans activities with her students - everything from butterflies, to herbs, to trees and weeds. She also works with the PTA and teachers to plan school-based activities for preK through 5th graders that promote a love of nature that carries over into the lives of the students.

Mary also organizes the ATS plant sale. This year they raised $700!. Mary's affiliations show her commitment to children, they include Arlington Children and Nature Network, Eco-Schools,USA, Junior Master Gardeners, Arlington Public Schools, Arlington Outdoor Lab, and Virginia Cooperative Extension - including 4H

As impressive as all this is, it’s not the whole story. The CWK award is not so much about what you do as how you do what you do. Mary’s quiet, calm demeanor and great respect and care for each child ensures that the young people she works with come away with a greater appreciation for the world around them and a real sense of empowerment about what they can do to protect the world they live in.

Helping young people find a passion in their lives is a powerful gift and Mary has sparked that passion in many young people.