{"id":11447,"date":"2016-06-01T14:47:23","date_gmt":"2016-06-01T18:47:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.fhps.net\/?page_id=11447"},"modified":"2021-11-12T16:05:00","modified_gmt":"2021-11-12T21:05:00","slug":"history-philosophy","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.fhps.net\/5-6-buildings\/goodwillie\/history-philosophy\/","title":{"rendered":"History and Philosophy of the Goodwillie Environmental School"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"GWLIMG_9422\"<\/p>\n

The Goodwillie and Nelson Families<\/h2>\n

Through the generosity of the Goodwillie & Nelson families, a permanent home for the Forest Hills Environmental School was planned, built and opened to 96 fifth and sixth graders in November of 2001.\u00a0 The school was named Goodwillie Environmental School to memorialize Kelly Goodwillie and his genuine love and respect for our natural environment.<\/p>\n

Yes, dreams really do come true!\u00a0 The dream of having an environmental school in the Forest Hills School District was hard to imagine, but after the approval from the Board of Education it became a reality in the fall of 1999.\u00a0 The philosophy of integrating environmental education into the curriculum and using the outdoors as a motivation for learning was exciting and ignited a great deal of interest in the Forest Hills community.\u00a0 Portable classrooms were installed at Camp O’Malley, fifth grade students were selected and before long, two eager teachers and 44 excited students were ready to begin this adventure together.\u00a0 The enthusiasm and pioneering spirit of the students and parents from the first year created unforgettable memories for those that experienced it.\u00a0 Going to school at camp was a unique opportunity that few people will ever experience and for those that did it was magical.<\/p>\n

In the winter of 2000, a decision was made for Forest Hills Environmental School to expand to include both 5th and 6th grades, but lack of classroom space presented an interesting challenge.\u00a0 The stars must have been aligned again because Jim and Mary Goodwillie Nelson granted a generous gift to Forest Hills Public Schools to build an environmental school.\u00a0 Their gift was used to build the first LEED certified “Green School” in Michigan – Goodwillie Environmental School, named for Kelly Goodwillie, an avid outdoorsman. In November 2001 we bade farewell to Camp O’Malley and boarded buses for our new school. It only seemed appropriate that the students would be introduced to their “living textbook” first, so hand in hand they walked silently through Seidman Park making their way to their new school building, a founding tradition they honor each year.<\/p>\n

<\/span>The Living Legacy of Kelly Goodwillie<\/div>
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The Living Legacy of Kelly Goodwillie<\/h2>\n

by Andrew Goodwillie<\/strong><\/p>\n

It was an honor to make a few remarks about my father on behalf of the family at the GES dedication ten years ago.\u00a0 I shared with the attendees that Kelly was an active outdoorsman, a hunter, and fisherman, and not necessarily a self-described environmentalist.\u00a0 He enjoyed actively recreating in nature and encouraged my brother and me to explore the outdoors as youngsters.\u00a0 My childhood home (where my mom still lives) was just down Honey Creek Road from GES.\u00a0 Thanks to my dad, I was fortunate to spend countless hours and days in the unkempt woods of Ada, much like GES students do every day – exploring the muddy banks of Honey Creek, constructing forts from found forest materials, and just wandering quietly, observing birds flicker in the trees, animals scurry in the brush, and enjoying the peaceful shimmer of wind meeting maple.<\/p>\n

My Dad gave me an informal education in the outdoors, taking me along on weekend fly-fishing trips in Michigan and extended float trips out west.\u00a0 As a teenager, my dad encouraged me to challenge myself and participate in a month-long National Outdoor Leadership (NOLS) camping expedition.\u00a0 My month living outside in the Wind River range in Wyoming, carrying only life’s necessities on my back, was a life-altering, mind-expanding experience that cemented the foundation for my love of nature and its ability to teach us unmatched lessons about ourselves, and ti reveal insights about the world around us.<\/p>\n

Buckets of praise, gratitude, and thanks to my mother and stepfather, Mary and Jim Nelson, for identifying the immense potential of the outdoor, experiential education model, realizing its connection to my dad’s values and legacy, and their generous commitment to establish this extraordinary school in memory of Kelly Goodwillie.<\/p>\n

The contributions of the original group of teachers who conceived the initial Goodwillie Environmental seminar class and the founding staff of GES cannot be underestimated.\u00a0 Their wonderful kernel of an idea has enriched the lives and expanded the educational frontiers of hundreds of children.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n

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The following articles from past issues of the Forest Hills Public Schools’ newsletter, Focus, highlight the donation by the Goodwillie and Nelson families and the dedication of the school in November, 2001:<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/span>An Extraordinary Gift<\/div>
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An Extraordinary Gift:<\/h2>\n

Goodwillie-Nelson Family Donates $1.6 Million to Build Environmental School
\nMary Goodwillie Nelson and her husband, Jim Nelson, announced at the September 2000 Board of Education meeting the largest single contribution made to the Forest Hills school district. The donation will memorialize Mary’s first husband, Kelly, who died in 1993. The donation will cover the land purchase and construction costs of a permanent home for the Forest Hills Environmental School, a program for 5th grade students begun in 1999.<\/p>\n

The school currently meets in temporary quarters at Camp O’Malley in Caledonia Township and serves 44 students. The new school will bear the Goodwillie name. It will be built on 28 acres next to Kent County’s Seidman Park, located east of Honey Creek Avenue between Two Mile Road and Conservation Road. If construction goes as planned, the students will be in the new school next year. The 28 acres surrounding the school and Seidman Park will provide students with a living environmental laboratory.<\/p>\n

The Forest Hills School District plans to make the school available to the entire school district and community through enrichment classes. It also will serve as a living laboratory to students in the Goodwillie Environmental Honors Seminar, an advanced placement class begun by Mary Goodwillie Nelson five years ago.<\/p>\n

Board of Education President Ben Emdin presented Ms. Goodwillie Nelson with a bouquet of flowers, and thanked her and her husband, Jim, for the extraordinary gift that will provide both a permanent home for the Environmental School, and a model for environmental stewardship in our community.<\/p>\n

Ben Emdin, Board of Education President in 2000, thanks Mary Goodwillie Nelson and her husband, Jim Nelson for their extraordinary gift.<\/div><\/div>

<\/span>Opening a Natural Wonder<\/div>
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Remembering Kelly Goodwillie at the Goodwillie Environmental School Dedication<\/h2>\n

On November 19, 2001 the family and friends of Kelly Goodwillie, together with the students, parents and staff of the Goodwillie Environmental School (GES), dedicated their new school to the memory of Kelly Goodwillie, and to his genuine love and respect for our natural environment.<\/p>\n

Andrew Goodwillie, son of Mary Goodwillie Nelson and Kelly Goodwillie, told the students that he hoped his father would “inspire you to learn a little bit more and discover the wonderful things the outdoors can provide to you.”<\/p>\n

Jim and Mary Goodwillie Nelson, Andrew and Catherine Goodwillie, Patrick and Ligia Mendez Goodwillie, and fifteen other family members donated $1.7 million to build the school.<\/p>\n

GES was designed by Progressive AE as a “green” building, and was built by Triangle Associates. It is being submitted for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification which is an international accreditation program for projects that sustain our environment through the materials, systems and construction methods used. Located at 8400 Two Mile Road, the school’s 18 acres adjoin Seidman Park.<\/p>\n

The Goodwillie and Nelson families dedicated the new Goodwillie Environmental School to the memory of Kelly Goodwillie.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

<\/span>Goodwillie Environmental School Achieves LEED Certification<\/div>
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Goodwillie Environmental School Achieves LEED Certification<\/h2>\n

At the April 22, 2003 Forest Hills Board of Education Meeting, Progressive AE, the architectural firm that designed the Goodwillie Environmental School, presented Jim Nelson, Mary Goodwillie Nelson and the Goodwillie staff with the LEED Certification award. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system was designed by the US Green Building Council to encourage and facilitate the development of more sustainable buildings. Jim VanderMolen, chief architect for the project, presented the bronze plaque that will hang in the hallway of the school and explained to the Board and the audience the extensive criteria required for qualification.<\/p>\n

Christine A. Ervin, President and CEO of US Green Building Council, stated the following in a letter accompanying the award: “The US Green Building council is proud to recognize the efforts and accomplishments of your project team by awarding Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Certification to Goodwillie Environmental School in Ada, Michigan. Your project’s final LEED rating reflects 29 documented and approved points which corresponds to the LEED Certified level under version 2.0.<\/p>\n

“In honor of this achievement and in appreciation of your participation in our program, we are pleased to present you with the enclosed LEED Green Building plaque and certificates. LEED Certification identifies your project as a pioneering example of sustainable design and demonstrates your leadership in transforming the building industry and marketplace. Goodwillie Environmental School has earned this recognition for excellence in the built environment and a place among the finest measured green buildings.<\/p>\n

“We look forward to working with you in the future to further our common mission of transforming the building industry and creating a greener world for future generations.”<\/p>\n

Jim VanderMolen (left) of Progressive AE presents the LEED Certification Award to Jim Nelson (right) and Mary Goodwillie Nelson.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

<\/span>The Goodwillie Environmental School Building Architectural Facts<\/div>
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