Alexandra “Alex” Hayes, Outreach Director of the Prophet Aquatic Research and Outreach Center at Emporia State University, recently joined her team in accepting a Kansas Association for Conservation and Environmental Education award recognizing PAROC’s work in environmental education.
Hayes is the daughter of Mike and Kelly Gentry of Council Grove and the wife of Kyle Hayes, formerly of Council Grove.
“This past weekend, my team and I travelled to Manhattan to accept a KACEE Award for the work the Prophet Aquatic Research and Outreach Center at Emporia State University has done in environmental education,” Hayes said in April. “Accepting this award was surreal. I am so proud of the work we do and the team that I have. I am looking forward to the amazing things to come in our future!”
PAROC enhances Emporia State University’s capacity for outreach education by expanding opportunities to teach the public about the importance of water and aquatic environments. The center also provides research opportunities for ESU students and teachers studying aquatic organisms and natural resources.
Located on the shores of King Lake and surrounded by prairie and woodland areas, PAROC serves as a living classroom. Its programs connect research with public engagement through fisheries management education, native species programming, freshwater mussel reintroduction, pre-K-12 field trips, summer science camps, Science Saturday programs and bilingual education initiatives.
During the academic year, ESU students use PAROC for research projects, while elementary and secondary education science majors use the center as part of coursework that prepares them to provide hands-on biology lessons in their own classrooms.
The center opened in 2021 with a mission to connect the community with the outdoors through interactive, hands-on experiences. Its work reflects the influence of its namesake, Dr. Carl Prophet, an ESU biology professor known for taking students outdoors to engage directly with the natural world.
PAROC’s outreach efforts serve preschool children, K-12 students, scouts, 4-H members, prospective students, teachers, community members and natural-resource professionals. Its partners and audiences include the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, The Nature Conservancy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Evergy and Wolf Creek employees.
At the award celebration, PAROC was recognized as a resource that connects research with public engagement and has become a valuable asset for environmental education in Kansas. The center’s impact was credited to ESU students who create and lead programs, partners who collaborate with the center, and community members and donors who continue to support its work.