Teacher Ambassador Spotlight

Adirondack Journal

By Katelyn Shaheen, L.P. Quinn Elementary School, Tupper Lake, NY

I have been teaching at L.P. Quinn Elementary School in the Tupper Lake Central School District for 14 years. I currently teach sixth-grade English Language Arts and Social Studies and have spent much of my career working with students in grades 4-6. I have also had the opportunity to serve as our Social Studies Curriculum Coordinator and as a Teacher Ambassador for the Adirondack Experience.

Working with ADKX has been incredibly valuable for both my students and our school community. Their programs foster student inquiry, collaboration, and informed action while encouraging students to ask questions, evaluate sources, and use evidence. These experiences align seamlessly with the New York State Social Studies Framework and the Common Core Learning Standards for Literacy in History and Social Studies. These skills are essential in both social studies and literacy instruction. From early elementary explorations of our natural resources, wildlife, and the history of lumbering in the Adirondacks to upper-grade studies of primary sources, fur trade, New York State history, geography, and debates, ADKX programs bring learning to life in meaningful and engaging ways. I’m always grateful for the opportunities ADKX provides our students and for the strong partnership that continues to support learning across grade levels.

ADKX also partners with us each year for our Adirondack Day, helping bring these learning experiences to life for students in grades Pre-K through 6. These programs consistently enrich our curriculum and leave a lasting impact on our students.

In addition to in-school programming, ADKX provides meaningful field trip experiences that allow students to extend their learning beyond the classroom. Last year, third grade students visited the museum, along with first grade, and our fourth and fifth grade classes, who regularly attend programs each spring. Second grade students also visit annually to participate in the winter Balsam Traditions program. These field trips give students hands-on opportunities to connect their studies of New York State history, geography, and culture to real places and artifacts. I’m always grateful for the opportunities ADKX provides our students and for the strong partnership that supports learning across grade levels.

ADKX education programs strongly support instruction in New York State geography and U.S. history, helping students connect classroom learning to the Adirondack region and their own lived experiences.

Programs we have offered across grade levels include:

  • Sounds of the Woods; Night Sounds of the Woods

  • Sounds of the Woods; Night Sounds of the Woods;
  • Seasons of the Lumberjack;
  • Making Butter

  • Seasons of the Lumberjack; Sounds of the Woods;
  • Night Sounds of the Woods; Ins & Outs

  • Conifer ID; Ins & Outs; Sounds of the Woods; Night
  • Sounds of the Woods; Amazing Adaptations; Bees & Pollination

  • Navigating the North Woods; Conifer ID; Ins & Outs;
  • Bees & Pollination; Amazing Adaptations

  • Fur Trade in New York; Navigating the North Woods

  • Wilderness Cure; Scene-ic Backwoods; Naming Narratives

  • Rugged Backwoods;
  • Adirondack Day Debate

Learn more about our outreach and field trip programs!

This article was originally published in our 2026 Winter/Spring Newsletter + 2025 Annual Report.

Share this entry
Bug Off: Duflo, Dope, and the Adirondack...