David Bolster inspires NEISD students to actively care about their world

David Bolster worked for several years as a wildlife biologist saving animals, but then he realized if today's young people didn't understand their role in the world, we wouldn't have a world to save. Bolster became a teacher because he couldn't think of anything that was more important to do.

He knew the power a teacher could have, because one of his former science teachers taught him to be a steward of the planet. Just as he has done with Ms. Wilcox's message, he hopes to influence his students to take the message to heart and pick up the mantle from him. "I'm so glad that 140 parents send their children to spend time with me every day – it's an honor," he says. Students and parents rave about his classes and his humorous style – he has fun with students while they learn.

The Green Patrol is a program that Bolster and his science students started at Harris Middle School. They studied the issue and found that if a vehicle idles more than a minute, turning off the engine and restarting it cuts down on air pollution. Now students patrol the school lanes wearing safety vests and carrying signs, reminding parents to turn off their engines while they are waiting to pick up their children. This is just one of the many ways he encourages all of the students to become involved in their world.

"My goal is for my students to learn more each day and to understand the value of continual learning – I want them to know learning is fun and they can do it all their lives," he says. "We're all scientists in some way – science teaches us understanding."