Two northeast Nebraska high school teachers have been awarded Nebraska Educators of the Year from the Nebraska Association of Resource Districts. 

According to a news release, science teachers Suzy Foley and Patrick Kratochvil were given the award for their work in developing the Taylor-Union Watershed Team. The team began in the summer of 2011 to introduce minority students to fieldwork in science and see how concepts taught in a classroom setting can be applied in the field. 

According to Kratochvil, the students take samples of water from the Taylor and Union creeks during the summer months and calculate the creek's water quality.

The Watershed Team is also involved with the "Know Your Well" program through UNL. In that project, students collect well samples from rural areas, run tests on the water and discuss the results with the well owners. 

Foley said students in the program also take the data to develop presentations which are given to the Madison Public School Board of Education, the Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District, local universities and colleges and other community groups.