Chester Orban
Chester (Chet) is an enthusiastic, inspirational, and well respected science educator at Campbell High School in Litchfield.
The science curriculum facilitator at Campbell described him as someone who “brings science to life through his many stories and activities that he relates to the real world.” His passion for science is shared not only with the students in his classes but throughout the entire school. He organized a school wide event celebrating Darwin’s Origin of Species. The event was a true cross-discipline learning experience for the entire school where all departments integrated and participated in the celebration.
Over the years a local pond has been the outdoor classroom for his environmental courses. His students collaborate with DES by conducting water quality studies. He has worked with the physics program to design an underwater submersible that gathered data in the pond. His students are continually developing their problem solving and critical thinking skills while conducting self designed studies in his classes. He teaches inquiry based science with a passion and love for the outdoors. The pond has been a 3 year long investigation that has helped his students understand that science takes place outside of a 90 minute block.
He planned an Earth Day celebration that focused on the Great Bat House and Bat Roost Research Project. His classes collaborated with the art and woodshop departments to put bat houses into the local park. His students researched bats in the area, their environmental difficulties and their ecological impact on the environment. He is also responsible for starting a new environmental ecology club that has been a hit with the students at Campbell. They are very active in studying the local flora and fauna.
Chet's love for the outdoors is present in his personal life as well. He is an avid hiker, paddler and gardener. He is involved in his local community as well as his professional community. In the summer he works with Woods Hole and Isle of Shoals conducting research.
A student of his stated “Mr. Orban lights up Campbell High School with his love and dedication for the environment but most importantly, his students.